


Golden Ascension

by Chrysalin



Series: Time Travel Trouble [5]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Code Name: Sailor V
Genre: Dark Magic, F/F, F/M, Loss of Powers, M/M, Supernatural Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 23:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 43,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19283071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrysalin/pseuds/Chrysalin
Summary: Sailor Moon's powers grew when the enemy was defeated, so something else must be on the way. A mysterious circus arrives during a solar eclipse, and a curse starts to take effect.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm copying over old works from Fanfiction.

_ Can you hear me, Master? _

 

I can hear you, but who are you? And why did you call me Master?

 

_ I cannot say now; I came only to warn you. There is danger, Master, one that threatens your very existence. You MUST be cautious. Forgive me, but I have to go. I will return if I can. Just remember my warning. _

 

Cautious of what? Warning of WHAT?!

 

_ I am sorry. _

 

88888888

 

The Pegasus slipped silently through the dreamscape, his golden horn the only steady light in a world of ever-shifting wishes. He needed to hide. Not with his master, no. It was too obvious and would lead their enemies straight to him. He’d risked the prince enough to deliver his message. It had to be another, someone he could bond with yet wouldn’t fall under suspicion. 

 

Silver light caught his attention, and he turned to it. It seemed familiar, as though it was a dream he knew, but it was not quite the same. A flash of gold lit the edges, and he understood. This was their child. No one would suspect a little girl from another time of being his protector. As he slipped into her subconscious, he knew their enemies would be unable to sense him. His power, little as it was, vanished in the great seething mass of hers. The child’s dreams unfolded, creating a fortress that would guard him until he was ready to emerge. He cantered through the scenes until he found one he liked. 

 

He recognized the young princess, of course, though she did not wear the mark of royalty. Her parentage was unmistakable. Taking in their surroundings, he saw they were in a crystal forest beside a still lake. He waited, watching as she sat on the shore. 

 

_ The forest is crying. If you can hear me, please answer me. _

 

The words were unvoiced, but the child heard his message. She got to her feet and looked around with a wariness the Pegasus didn’t like in a child. Fear and danger had to be experienced before someone would have their guard up, and she was young to have dealt with such emotions. “Who is it?” she called. “Who’s there?”

 

_ I am no enemy to you, maiden.  _

 

Their eyes locked as she turned. She walked toward him as he slowly moved closer. When she was a meter away, he sank into an implausibly elegant bow. 

 

“A Pegasus…” she whispered. Her fingers brushed his velvety nose as he leaned into the caress. An outpour of golden light from his horn obscured her features momentarily. When it cleared it was the princess whose eyes locked on his. 

 

_ Please do not tell anyone we have met. _


	2. Part 1

“Let’s go, Mamo-chan!” Chibiusa demanded as she pushed her future father into the park. Usagi was right behind them, laughing. “Everyone is waiting! Usagi, come on!” the child ordered as she tried to herd her mother-to-be forward.

 

Mamoru turned, snatching the girl and tossing her over his shoulder. She kicked and squirmed, but he ignored it and flashed his girlfriend a grin. “You’re in no rush, Usako?”

 

“Not as much as she is. I don’t know why she’s hurrying through her last day here.”

 

“Sorry,” their future daughter said, but her repentance didn’t last. “Let’s go! Mamo-chan, put me down!”

 

“I don’t think so, kiddo. We don’t want to run, so you’re stuck like this until we find everyone else.” He offered Usagi his other arm. “My lady.”

 

The blonde smiled and curtsied. “Thank you, kind sir. I appreciate your gallant rescue and apologize for the impetuousness of my charge.”

 

“Think nothing of it. I will be glad to escort you through the remainder of your day’s activities. Unless my lady objects?”

 

“You two sound ridiculous,” Chibiusa said with a distinctly un-ladylike snort. 

 

Mamoru took pity on her and set her down once he could see the others, watching the pink haired bundle of energy run straight at them. Chibiusa knocked Rei and Minako over as she landed in the center of the group’s blanket. Unazuki and Motoki laughed as Makoto and Ami kindly disentangled them. 

 

“Where are the guys?” Usagi asked as she and Mamoru joined them. “And Reika-san? I thought they were coming.”   
  


Makoto glanced up as she pulled Chibiusa free, smiling. “I don’t know about the others, but Masato has to work all day. Poor guy – he loves this sort of stuff.”

 

“Same for Keiji,” Minako chimed as she managed to wriggle out from under Rei. “He’s got investors coming in so he’ll be busy. They never cooperate.”

 

“Jomei has family stuff,” the priestess told them, sitting up. “He couldn’t get out of it. They’re not happy about him being fired.”

 

“I thought you didn’t like him,” Motoki said with a grin. 

 

Rei’s chin went up. “I don’t; he’s just so hopeless  _ someone _ has to watch over him.”

 

Ami studied her lap. “Zane-san isn’t coming. He didn’t say why.”

 

“And Reika-chan’s in class,” Motoki finished, cutting off Mamoru’s intended follow-up. “Her professor’s a tyrant. The day he gives them time off is the day he’s being buried, if then.”

 

“It’s starting,” Makoto warned quickly. 

 

Motoki took out eclipse glasses and passed them around. Mamoru accepted his and slipped them on, but something was bothering him – a warning. With a sigh, he attributed it to the strange dream he’d had. After all, he wasn’t psychic like some of the others. It wasn’t real. 

 

Quiet anticipation settled over them as the moon slid in front of the sun, darkening the sky. The hero nodded, enjoying the rare occurrence. As the eclipse reached totality, though, agony tore through his chest. It was gone as quickly as it came, but the pain was accompanied by more foreboding. Rei seemed undisturbed when he turned to see if she’d felt anything. He wondered if it was something to do with Earth magic, but the men who might have been able to tell him weren’t there and didn’t seem to react to his pain. There were three more attacks before the eclipse ended, each one an ache so acute he was expecting to look down and find blood. Mamoru forced himself to ignore it, though working up a smile every time Usagi met his gaze got harder and harder. 

 

He was the only one happy when the sun began to emerge. 

 

88888888

 

Leaving the park, the group ran straight into chaos. “What’s going on?” Usagi shouted. 

 

Mamoru, taller than the others, managed to look over the crowd’s heads and spot a poster on a nearby wall. He squinted until it came into focus. “Apparently a circus came to town,” he answered. “I guess they got here while we were in the park.”

 

“And everyone found out so quickly?” Ami asked with a frown. 

 

He looked around, his discomfort back tenfold. “It’s weird. We should’ve heard about an event this big before now.”

 

Chibiusa was jumping up and down a few paces away, Makoto keeping a close eye on her. “We should go! It looks like a lot of fun!”

 

“I thought you were leaving, Chibiusa-chan,” the brunette said. 

 

“But it’s amazing! Mama never goes to circuses!” The girl was all but dancing in place. “She never said why. Papa offered to take me, but I don’t think he likes them either.”

 

“I don’t have a problem with circuses. Do you?” the blonde asked quietly. 

 

Mamoru shook his head. “I’ve never been to one. Orphanage, you know.” She winced, and he sighed. “Why don’t you and Chibiusa-chan take a look? I’ll be back soon; I want to talk to the others before they leave.”   
  


“If you think it’s a good idea…” Usagi said hesitantly. “Mamo-chan, are you okay? I feel like something’s upsetting you.”

 

“I’m fine, Usako.” He grinned, winding a pigtail around his fingers. “I’ll come find you in ten minutes or so, okay? You should spend some time with her before she goes home.”

 

He waited the few seconds it would take her to relax into him, smiling again as she perked up. “Okay! Chibiusa-chan, let’s look around! You can stay a few more hours, right?”

 

The two girls took off at a run, leaving the others standing idly on the sidewalk. Motoki laughed. “Guess that’s it, huh? I should get back to the arcade. Unazuki-chan?”

 

“Yeah, I have a shift at the café. We should go before we’re late. Bye!”

 

The Furuhata siblings departed, and Minako, Rei and Makoto accompanied them. Ami was left fidgeting awkwardly by Mamoru. “What’s up with you and Zane-kun?” he asked gently. 

 

The genius girl winced. “Is it so obvious?”

 

“A little.” He gestured back toward the park. “Want to talk about it? I’m worried; neither of you have been yourselves lately. Did he do something?”

 

“No, of course not.” She sighed and led the way to an open bench. Once they sat down, he waited. “I guess… How much do you know about what happened after you left to find Sailor Moon while we were at Infinity Academy?”

 

One brow shot up. “Not much. Did something go wrong?”

 

“You saw what it looked like that morning.” He nodded, so she continued. “We did our best to stop the Daimons, but there was no way to destroy them all. There were just too many. We couldn’t even get close to the school. Eventually we realized we couldn’t keep fighting a few at a time or we were going to drop. We split up and erected a barrier to hold them.”   
  


“Clever.”

 

Ami shook her head. “It wasn’t enough. I – This is humiliating.”

 

“You’ve seen me at the lowest point anyone can sink to. No matter what you say, I won’t think any less of you.”

 

“I couldn’t hold on,” she said finally, getting to her feet and pacing. “The others put in so much power, but I couldn’t match it. I was going to break.”

 

“You didn’t.”

 

“I would have.” He could see defeat in her eyes. “Zoisite knew it. He tried to bring me back, but after a thousand years we didn’t have much holding us together. I was slipping, but… He  _ did _ pull me back.”

 

“He remade your bond,” Mamoru guessed

 

Ami bit her lip. “I think so. I was almost unconscious, but suddenly I had strength again and he was kissing me. I opened my eyes and saw the lover and fiancé of my past. I don’t know what he saw in me, but I guess it wasn’t that. He hasn’t talked to me since.”

 

“Ami-chan, the one thing that scares him more than anything is losing you.” 

 

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

 

“How much did Zoisite ever tell you about his childhood?”

 

Confused, the teen shook her head. “Not much. He wasn’t exactly secretive, but I knew he didn’t like to discuss it. I never pressed.”

 

“So all you know is that he was part of the court.” Mamoru sighed. “I’m not the one to tell you. I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to take my word. I think he’s scared that what he did upset you, so he’s pulling away on his own to avoid having you leave him.”

 

He turned to walk away, wanting to get a little something for his girls before he found them, but she stopped him. “Mamoru-san? One more thing.” The pause before she continued was like the proverbial shoe waiting to drop. “I can’t transform.”

 

The hero froze, dread creeping up his spine. “How is that even possible?”

 

“I don’t know. I was going to go to the station to pick up our messages, but when I tried nothing was there. It’s like my powers are gone.”

 

“Did you check with the others?” 

 

“I haven’t told anyone until now.”

 

Mamoru struggled to get his thoughts in order. “Well, talk to Zane-kun first. If you can’t transform we’ll need him and I don’t want you two dancing around whatever’s going on. Once that’s done, you have to talk to Usako.”

 

“Do you know anything?”

 

“If I did, I’d tell you in a minute.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I’ve been uneasy, but that’s it. I didn’t realize anyone else was having problems.”

 

“I thought about going to Usagi-chan, but she’d only worry. I would have told Zane-san if he was still speaking to me.”

 

The young man ran shaking hands through his dark hair. “Like I said, talk to him. Then straight to Usako, okay? Something’s obviously going on.”

 

Ami nodded. “Have fun with them today. She’s not going to take this well.”

 

“Of course not.” He waved before rejoining the street fair that had sprung up since the circus’s arrival. A moment later, he realized how unseasonably warm it was. Despite it being early February, it felt like May. He rubbed sweat from the back of his neck before approaching a vendor and buying a pair of glass kaleidoscopes for Usagi and Chibiusa. The light refracting through them left a dazzle of color on the sidewalk. 

 

Locating the girls, both far too short to see in a crowd, would have been impossible if not for the bond between him and Usagi. Following her pull, Mamoru wound through clusters of people and performers until he found them staring at a fire eater. He shook his head at their wide-eyed wonder before wrapping his arms around Usagi’s shoulders. She turned and gave him a bright smile. He automatically pulled her closer, wanting her where he knew she would be safe.

 

“The circus is doing its first performance tonight,” she informed him. “They set up in one of the other parks. See the big tent?”

 

He did, and he didn’t like it. Just the thought of the thing touching the land he was so inextricably bound to was enough to make him want to be sick. There was no explanation for his sudden hatred either. “Do you want to go, or is Chibiusa-chan leaving before it starts?”

 

“She misses her parents more than she wants to see the circus. Once we find a quiet spot, she’ll use the Time Key and go home.”

 

“We can take her to Hikawa Shrine. Rei-san will keep people away.” He handed the blonde their presents. “Here. I thought you’d like them.”

 

“Oh, they’re so pretty!” she chirped, delighted by the trinket. “Look at what Mamo-chan got us, Chibiusa-chan! Aren’t they beautiful?”

 

The pink-haired girl nodded, her interest in the performer gone as easily as that. “Wow! Thanks, Mamo-chan!” She glanced between them. “I’ll really miss both of you, but Mama and Papa are waiting for me.”    
  


“No problem. Let’s get to the shrine, huh?”

 

They walked to Mamoru’s car, and he maneuvered through the nasty traffic until they reached Sendai Hill. He parked at the bottom of the stairs and followed his girls into the trees, thinking about what Ami had told him. Once they were sufficiently concealed, Chibiusa smiled and raised her Time Key, chanting the spell to activate its powers. 

 

Nothing happened. Chibiusa yelped, and as she did a burst of pain hit Mamoru, forcing him to his knees as he tried to breathe. Usagi cried out, kneeling at his side. When she took his hands, the agony suddenly abated. 

 

“Mamo-chan, what happened?!”

 

“I don’t know. It’s over; don’t worry about it. Chibiusa-chan, what’s going on?”

 

The little girl frowned. “It should have worked. I saw something for a moment, but then you fell and I wasn’t paying attention.”

 

“Saw?” Usagi repeated, whipping around to look at their daughter. Her expression was completely serious. “What did you see?”

 

“I – I don’t know. It was too fast,” she replied nervously.

 

They knew it was a lie, but Mamoru was trying to understand what was happening to him while Usagi worried about them both. “What does this mean?” he asked as he straightened after a minute’s silence. “You can’t go home?”

 

Usagi glanced between them. “I’ll try to reach Pluto, but I don’t know where she is and my ties to the Outers aren’t very strong. Are you all right, Mamo-chan?”

 

“Fine. Just a stitch, I guess. We’ve been hurrying everywhere today.”

 

It was the second obvious lie in a matter of seconds, but she let it slide. He knew it would be brought up again when they were alone. “Well, let’s head to your place since we’ve obviously worn you out. Are you coming, Chibiusa-chan? We can order takeout and watch a movie until your old dad is better.”

 

“Old?” Mamoru repeated, trying to act offended. “I am not  _ old _ .”

 

“You’re older than Usagi-chan,” Chibiusa observed.    
  


“That doesn’t make me old. I’ll teach you. See if you can catch up, hm?”

 

He took off running, knowing Usagi was more than fast enough to keep pace but that she’d stay with Chibiusa. For a minute, he let his bafflement and fear show on his face, then shoved it away. He didn’t want them involved until there was proof that something was actually wrong. Until then, Mamoru was determined to deal with the problem alone.

 

88888888

 

Mamoru stared out at the stars, his grip on the balcony railing tightening until his fingers were bloodless. Usagi was with Chibiusa, getting the little girl settled on the futon in his room. Another spasm shook him, but he forced it aside. 

 

He heard the door slide open as she stepped out. “Mamo-chan, what’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know. What did Pluto say?”

 

“I haven’t been able to reach her yet.” He got a sense of the blonde shaking her head. “What happened? I’ve seen you run across the city without breaking a sweat. You were stabbed and didn’t make a sound. I don’t think a stitch could be bad enough to knock you over.”

 

“That’s what it was.”

 

“I thought we were past lying to each other. Just talk to me. Please?”

 

He sighed. “I’d tell you if I knew. I feel like something’s going to happen, but that’s it. It’s just something I have to deal with on my own until I figure it out.”

 

“Another enemy?”

 

“I hope not.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, surprising him. He turned until he could see her eyes. “Hey, it’s okay. No matter what, we’ll survive. You’re the strongest, bravest girl I’ve ever known.”

 

“Flatterer,” Usagi muttered against his chest. 

 

Mamoru chuckled. “I’m completely serious, Usako. Now get some sleep.”

 

88888888

 

“Zane-san, pick up the phone,” she said, but her prayer amounted to nothing when she was once again routed to voicemail. “Hi, it’s Ami. I wanted to talk to you. Please call me back when you get this message?”

 

Exhausted, the blue-haired girl hung up her phone. For the past week, she’d tried to reach him two or more times a day. He never answered or returned a call. If she hadn’t already known he was avoiding her, she would now. She couldn’t give him space for much longer before she’d have to press the issue – things were getting strange in Tokyo, and she didn’t think there was much time before they were forced into another battle. 

 

There was a rap on her bedroom door and she sat up, adjusting her skirt. It was one of her mother’s rare nights off, and the two were going to dinner. Mizuno Saeko stepped in, wearing a pale green silk twin set and a black skirt. “Are you ready, Ami-chan?”

 

“Yes, Mother. I’ll be right out.”

 

She paused halfway out the door. “I know I haven’t been around much lately, but are you working too hard? You seem tired.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

The doctor nodded and left, so Ami got up and reached for her communicator. When her fingers were mere centimeters away, she paused. “I’m not a Senshi tonight,” she told herself seriously. “I’m just a normal girl.”

 

She left without it for the first time in months. The teen followed her mother out of their apartment moments before her phone beeped, signaling an incoming call. 

 

88888888

 

She spent their night out trying to act like she used to, but it wasn’t working. Ami wasn’t the same, and she didn’t know how to relate to the woman she’d barely seen in the year since she came into her powers. The only thing they had to discuss was her schoolwork. When the older woman wanted to turn in – she had an early shift in the morning – Ami sent her on ahead. 

 

It was unusual for her to be morose and uncertain, but Ami was at a loss. Without her Senshi abilities, she didn’t know what she could offer her friends if trouble started. She definitely couldn’t fight without transforming. 

 

“If you are going to leave so many messages, you should at least pick up when I try to respond,” Zane said a few meters behind her.

 

She spun, startled. “Zane-san! What are you doing here?!”

 

He blinked. “You called me. I thought you sounded worried, so when you did not answer I decided to look for you.”

 

Neither expected what happened next – Ami slapped him. He jerked back, one hand to his cheek, as she stared at hers as though it had developed a mind of its own. “I – I’m so sorry, Zane-san,” she babbled. “I don’t know what’s come over me.”

 

“Whatever it is, I feel like it was a long time coming. Did something happen?”

 

“No,” she answered immediately before hesitating. “Yes? I don’t know.”

 

“Well, tell me when you figure it out,” he said with a hint of his old humor. He barely even smiled since reawakening. He’d claimed he was okay with being one of them again, but she knew he was lying. “In the meantime, why did you slap me?”

 

Ami blushed. “I didn’t mean to, honestly. I just – I’ve been a bit stressed out. I’m sorry I took it out on you.”

 

“Explain what is bothering you, then.”

 

She made sure they were alone before responding. “It’s Senshi business.”

 

The young man nodded. “I had thought as much. Has there been an attack? I have not heard from the others recently.”

 

“No, not yet, but I think there’s one coming. Mamoru-san agrees with me. Things have been very strange since the eclipse.”

 

“People are unusually tense, but I imagine it is due to the warm spell we are having. I do not think it is anything as serious as a new enemy. It has only been a few weeks since we dealt with the Death Busters.”

 

_ It’s only been a few weeks since you’ve looked at me like you care, _ she thought, but she didn’t say it. She was afraid to ask what had changed. 

 

He paused when he noticed her expression. “Ami-san? Really, what has you so worked up? I have not seen you like this before.” She looked away, but he gently pushed her chin up so he could see her face. “Ami.”

 

The genius girl couldn’t help the few tears that slipped free only to be brushed away by his thumb. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” She pushed away and hurried off, not wanting to look at him. 

 

Instead of paying attention to where she was going, Ami wandered the streets studying a postcard from her father. There was a picture of a school of beautiful tropical fish on it, and despite how much it hurt never seeing her father, the card soothed her. 

 

“It’s been years,” she whispered. “It shouldn’t still hurt. Just get over it already.”

 

Logically, she knew she had nothing to do with her parents’ divorce, but her inner child always wondered what she could’ve done. She had been so young when he’d left that sometimes she couldn’t remember his face. She knew her free-spirited father quailed at staying in one place, and her mother’s no-nonsense personality had been stifling to him. In the end, she still wanted them together. She wanted to go home and find a family instead of an absentee father and a mother who was at work so often that she barely knew her. 

 

She realized suddenly that she didn’t know where she was. There were no tropical fish shops near her apartment, and she didn’t think she’d been so lost in thought that she’d left the area. Even trying to figure out the situation with Zane wouldn’t distract her that much.

 

Shrugging, she pushed the door open, surprised to find the shop open at such a late hour. The reasonable part of her sounded an alarm, but her dark mood readily shoved it aside in favor of admiring the beautiful creatures. Nothing soothed her quite as much as water, and the fish were like a balm to her soul. She wandered the aisles, taking them in. Soon thoughts of the men in her life vanished, transient as the bubbles in the tanks. A clerk appeared, beaming and holding out her postcard.

 

“You dropped this, miss,” the girl said cheerfully. “It’s beautiful; I don’t think I’ve ever seen that painting before. Do you know who did it?”

 

“My father did. He’s a Japanese style artist,” she replied distantly. Her focus shifted to the fish on the card. “Do you have any like these? They’re stunning.”

 

“Oh, discus? Sure!” She led the way to a set of tanks Ami hadn’t reached yet, filled with fish in an assortment of colors. “The ones on your card are the red turquoise variety, but they’re all very attractive. Water and fish are good for stress; did you know?”

 

“Being here is like being underwater. It’s very soothing.”

 

“I’m glad you think so. Now, this fish is fairly high maintenance. They do best in pairs, but I’d actually suggest getting one settled before you pick a second. They need a fairly large tank. Will you have enough room?”

 

“Yes. My apartment is very spacious.”

 

“Great! I’m sure your family will love it.”

 

Ami nodded instead of correcting her. “How much for the fish and whatever it needs? Its aquarium and such?” The other girl rattled off a list of supplies and a price she knew was outrageous, but Ami didn’t bat an eye. “That’ll be fine, thank you.”

 

_ It’s strange; I can’t seem to look away. _ She shook her head, brushing the thought aside. The sales clerk handed her a box full of supplies and the plastic bag containing her fish. Its distinctive stripes mesmerized her, and by the time she reached her bedroom she knew every striation. It was gently set down on her desk as she put together the tank and adjusted the water to the fish’s needs. The clerk had been right; discus were finicky and she had to make sure everything was perfect. It wouldn’t do to kill the thing the day she got it. She fell asleep that night watching it swim around in its new home.

 

88888888

 

When Ami woke up, she knew something was wrong; she just couldn’t say why. There were voices in the kitchen. Her bedroom window was open as always. Her fish was swimming peacefully in its tank – voices? Plural? While it wasn’t unheard of for her mother to invite over company, it certainly wasn’t common. 

 

She slid out of bed and rubbed her eyes, pausing by the aquarium to drop in food for her pet. The creature ignored it, so she sighed and went into her en suite bathroom to get ready for the day. Some inner voice raged, but she was too tired to deal with it and so chose to shut it out. By the time she returned to her room, the clinking of utensils told her breakfast was ready. It was a good thing, too; she was starving. She wondered if it had something to do with the long walk she’d taken. It was possible, she supposed, but it normally took more than a walk to affect her. With a sigh, she turned and left the room. Her mother would worry if she was late to breakfast.

 

_ That _ cut through the fog. Her mother wasn’t supposed to be home – she should’ve started a double shift before Ami even woke up. That she was not only home but had company over was astounding. She  _ never _ failed to show up for work and there was no way the prominent surgeon had been given a day off after having the evening. Worried, Ami all but ran to the kitchen.  

 

Her jaw dropped. It was her father! He’d been gone since she was little, and without any warning he was at their table sipping coffee. His paint brushes were a few centimeters away. Her mother was dressed casually as she tossed eggs into a hot skillet. 

 

“Mother, what’s going on?” Ami asked. “What are you doing here, Father?” There was no answer. If anything, it was as though she wasn’t even there. A sharp prickle at the back of her neck made her suddenly aware that magic was in the air – dark power. “It’s not possible,” she whispered. “I warded this place.”

 

After the Death Busters, Kunzite had encouraged the girls to take up the same warding Makoto kept at her apartment. Hers were made of palm wood, since the trees were sacred to her god. The sigils were carefully carved with an icicle, and finished with a blast of freezing water. There was no possible way they could have worn down so quickly, and while they worked evil energy couldn’t enter without warning her. 

 

Realization hit, leaving her shaken and chilled to the bone. The only way anything could have gotten in without setting off the wards was if she had brought it through herself. The fish. She went to investigate, but before she reached her room her parents started talking. 

 

“Do you know where Ami is?” her father asked mildly.

 

“I haven’t seen her since you kicked her out,” Saeko replied. “Why? You left because of her, and you made her go when you came back. Did you change your mind?”

 

“No. I was just wondering, I suppose. She was always so self-centered. I thought the real world might have gotten to her now.”

 

_ Self-centered? He left because of me?!  _  Ami thought in horror.  _ No! This is the dark power’s doing. My parents would never kick me out. They’ll always care about me! _

 

“Or do they?”

 

The blue-haired girl froze as a figure appeared at her back. “Get away from me.”

 

“You have a beautiful dream. All those petty human wishes are there. A career, love, friendship, family – Are those things really important? You’re alone. You’re born alone and you stay alone. Why worry about those things when they  _ never _ come true?”

 

It was a man, she realized as he pressed too close. She managed to keep the fear from her voice when she spoke up. “Who are you, and what do you want from me?”

 

“My name is Fisheye,” he crooned. “As for what I want… Just give me that fantasy. If you do, I’ll do whatever you want. If you give in, I’ll always be there for you. You won’t be alone. You’ll have someone to love who won’t ever leave.”

 

For a moment, she almost believed it. Fisheye’s voice flowed like water, soothing and utterly deceptive. She nearly didn’t notice when his arm went to her throat, applying pressure. It was like being so distracted by the ocean’s beauty she didn’t realize she was drowning. She gasped, trying to remember why she had been so worried. 

 

“You can’t… give me my dreams,” she choked before jabbing an elbow into her captor’s stomach hard enough to make him shift his grip. She took advantage of his distraction and slipped free. “You’re showing me illusions! This isn’t real!”

 

She got her first look at her assailant as he snarled. Aside from the dark expression, she thought he might have been handsome the same way Zane was – more delicate than most men, but with clean lines and gentle features. The hair was even similar, though Zane’s soft honey blond was far more normal than Fisheye’s aqua. Ami reached for her communicator but flinched when she realized she’d once again left it in her room. She couldn’t call for help.

 

With a start, Ami realized that wasn’t strictly true. While she’d never thought much about it, she knew the basics of what her bond with Zane was capable of. She’d seen the other couples talk mentally, and though she and Zane weren’t that far they would at least be able to express emotion through the link. More, he could teleport. If anyone could arrive in time, it’d be him. 

 

She managed a single mental touch before Fisheye was too close. Her Star Wand was dead in her hand, the power it had contained gone, and she had no idea why. The man caught her upper arms and pulled her into an embrace. She struggled, but without her Senshi strength he was stronger. Ami quickly found herself pinned to his chest, too close to even kick hard enough to break free. He lowered his mouth to hers, and she was lost.

 

88888888

 

Zane had been ignoring the emotions flowing through his bond to Ami, but a burst of fear and need caught his attention as easily as if she’d been attacked in front of him. He transformed and teleported in the same breath, surprised when it left him in her living room. She was on the floor, purpling bruises on her mouth and throat. He knelt and ran a gloved hand over the marks, watching them vanish as though they’d never been. 

 

“What happened to you?” he whispered, caressing her cheek. She didn’t even stir. “Come back to me, Ami-san.”

 

“She won’t wake up.” Though startled, Zoisite was disciplined enough to keep his face impassive as he got to his feet and faced the newcomer. “She’s mine now.”

 

“Who are you, and what have you done to her?”

 

“She’s in my nightmare.” Fisheye laughed gleefully when the general shot a quick look at his unmoving partner. “If you’re waiting for her to escape on her own, she can’t. She lost her powers. Sailor Mercury is gone; she’ll never wake up.”

 

Suddenly Zoisite had a knife in hand, and he threw it expertly a moment later. The blade embedded itself up to the hilt in the wall a millimeter from the other man’s neck, pinning his jumpsuit. “You will let her go if you know what is good for you.”

 

Fisheye only laughed a second time. “I can’t! That’s the best part. I have the power to  _ give _ nightmares, you fool. I can’t break them once they’ve been woven.”

 

“Those marks on her were your doing. Do you want to die?” Rather than waiting for an answer, the young man drew a fist back and punched his opponent hard enough to daze him. It wasn’t much against an inhuman foe, but he didn’t seem inclined to escape. Zoisite hurried back to the unconscious girl. “Ami-san, Ami, you have to fight. Come back to me.”

 

When verbal pleas made no progress, he reached out mentally. Her spirit clung to his, but it was obviously struggling in the grasp of whatever magic had taken hold. He tried to soothe her, but such minor assistance accomplished nothing. A moment later he understood that a monster was trapping her in her own mind. 

 

“Can you hear me at all, Ami?” he asked brushing aside a strand of her soft blue hair.

 

88888888

 

_ Can you hear me at all, Ami? _

 

Ami spun, searching for something,  _ anything _ , to orient her in the dark. The voice was exquisitely familiar, but it was impossible for her to identify it. 

 

A roar tore the silence. The all-encompassing black lifted, replaced with a landscape found in the most horrid of dreams. Her surroundings were a harsh red, pitted with pools of lava. She immediately felt parched. Even the vapor in the air seemed depleted. She reached for her planetary power, knowing dark magic had to be responsible for her plight, but it was gone. The bestial hunting call sounded again, and a monster charged her. It was all scales, talons and teeth, big and dangerous even by her standards. She threw herself to the side just in time. Turning her fall into a roll, she came to her feet centimeters from one of the magma vents. 

 

“How am I supposed to fight like this?!” she gasped. 

 

“You have to remember your true dreams,” a new voice responded, delicate and light when all else was fiery anger. “What do you really want, Ami-chan?”

 

“Who are you?  _ Where _ are you?”

 

“I’m part of you. If you believe in me, in yourself, you’ll win.” A perfect miniature of her appeared, but this girl wore a Senshi uniform. There were minor differences – her back bow was longer, and the brooch was a heart instead of the simple disk Ami wore as Mercury. The sapphire in her tiara was almost alive. “I’m Guardian Mercury. If you tell me what you dream of, I can give you the power to make it real.”

 

The creature had stopped a few paces away, as if the guardian’s presence completely baffled it. Enemies of its sort were never that bright. Ami looked at it before turning back, not sure if she could trust what she saw. 

 

“You could be another trap. Why should I believe you?”

 

Guardian Mercury shrugged. “You have to decide whether or not to trust me. Do you know who’s waiting for you to come back? He’s so worried!”

 

For a moment, Ami saw the real world. Zoisite’s green eyes bore into hers, filled with concern. She was back in the nightmare just as quickly. The beast snorted and shifted, but it made no move to approach. “Why is Zoisite there?” she asked a little desperately.

 

“You called him. He felt your fear and wanted to save you, but you were already here. If you’re strong, you’ll go back. Now tell me your dreams, Ami. There are two, right?”

 

“They’re silly,” Ami muttered, unsure. The monster roared again and reared, flailing its long front claws in her direction. It slowly pressed forward. 

 

“If you say things like that, it’ll take you and you’ll never wake up. Believe in yourself.”

 

“I want to protect the people that matter,” she said suddenly, the words pouring out as though a dam had broken. “And… and I want love! I want to protect Usagi-chan, and I want someone who will protect me too!”

 

Guardian Mercury smiled. “Take this.”

 

A fist-sized blue stone shaped like a heart appeared between them, full of incredible power. Its light was familiar, and Ami knew she’d seen it before. It called to her, and when she touched it, all she could think was that it made her complete.

 

“This is mine,” she whispered. Her Star Wand appeared, glowing the same brilliant tone as the gem. They merged, and when the light died the wand was larger and shaped differently.

 

“That’s your Crystal Change Rod. Hold it and say ‘Mercury Crystal Power, Make-up’,” her guardian instructed. “It’ll give you your true power. Be strong, Sailor Mercury.”

 

She vanished, but Ami’s resolve was still there. She would fight on her own terms, more than a match for a mere nightmare. “MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!”

 

The wave of cool water that surrounded her as she transformed had never been more welcome. The power flooded a few meters around her, turning the volcanic landscape to a lush oasis. Her uniform shifted, a copy of Guardian Mercury’s. When she spun to a halt, there was something in her hands. A beautiful harp with a wing along one side had materialized with her transformation, and it seemed to be made of blue crystal. The strings were fine strands of the same material, but she knew without words that they were as strong as steel. When she let her fingers trail across them, the resulting note was exquisitely clear. 

 

The sound shook the monster from its daze and it leapt, but her reflexes were superior and her power was overwhelming. She plucked the harp’s strings again and played an incredible melody. It was followed by the cry of her new attack. 

 

“MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!” Water shot at the creature from every direction, leaving no room to escape, freezing it solid. As Mercury’s hands dropped, the ice shattered and the monster was gone. The nightmare came apart, and between one blink and the next she was home, Zoisite leaping to his feet behind her. She studied the young man pinned to her wall. “You’re the fish I brought home. You’re the reason everything went wrong here this morning.”

 

He knew he was defeated, but the enemy was determined to have the last laugh. “You’re only our first target. After all, you’re much weaker than the others. They don’t need you.”

 

“You lie,” Zoisite said furiously, but Mercury shook her head.

 

“It’s all right if the enemies think I’m weak. I know I’m not, and I know the others would miss me if I was gone. His illusions can’t hurt me anymore.”

 

“You’ll die,” Fisheye taunted. “All of you. The Dead Moon Circus will see to it. Maybe you defeated my Lemures, but the others can’t transform. They’ll lose.”

 

“Lemures? Dead Moon Circus?” the general asked quietly, wondering if Mercury knew any more than he did. “Have you heard of them?”

 

“No. He has one thing right, though – the girls can’t transform. Only Usagi and I can, as far as I know. That’s why I’ve been trying to reach you; I was worried what would happen if they didn’t have their power. We need you now more than ever, Zoisite. Please don’t run again.”

 

He flinched. “It was not my intention to upset you.”

 

“I know. Mamoru-san told me.”

 

With a sigh, he shook his head. “You forgive my sins so easily. I do not know what I would do without you.”

 

“Let’s not find out. What should we do with him?” she asked, gesturing at Fisheye and wondering why he hadn’t tried to escape. “He’ll come after us again if we don’t do something.”

 

“Do as you will,” Zoisite said. “He is a magical construct, no more.”

 

Mercury nodded, unsurprised. “Can you think of any questions we should ask?”

 

“None that would net useful answers. Pawns are not given valuable information.”

 

“Okay.” Her harp fell back into her gloved palms. “MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!”

 

Fisheye came apart, and a dead discus fish fell to the floor. Zoisite pulled his dagger out of the wall, mending the damaged plaster with a casual gesture. “What now?” he asked. 

 

She returned to her civilian form, so he did the same. “We’ll call a meeting and tell the others about this. And, Zane-san?”

 

“Yes?” He suddenly found his arms full. “Ami?”

 

“Stop pushing me away. Please. You’re one of my dreams.”

 

He hesitated before returning the embrace. “Okay. I… Okay.” He turned his face enough that their cheeks brushed together. “Even if I wanted to let you go, I could not. Not again.”

 

“Don’t. Don’t ever let go.”

 

“I love you,” Zane whispered. 

 

Ami laughed, rising onto her tiptoes and kissing his cheek shyly. “I love you too.”

 

With that, the strength that had sustained her through her traumatizing morning failed and she crumpled, crying into his shoulder as she finally faced everything that had happened. 

 

88888888

 

After the attack on Ami, the enemy waited; they would strike in their weakest moments if they could. Once the rest of the team was up to date, they’d quickly realized the others were indeed unable to transform. The Shitennou felt weaker, but their powers were uninterrupted. 

 

Usagi suggested that the men watch their partners in hopes of protecting them, but the girls shot it down. They were warriors, and they refused to be babysat. Rei was the most succinct: “I like my privacy. If you make him follow me, I’ll push him into the Sacred Fire.”

 

The issue was dropped after that, unsurprisingly but despite the protests, the generals took it upon themselves to stay close. If the girls noticed, they chose to turn a blind eye for the most part. Rei, as usual, was the glaring exception. 

 

Mamoru blinked when he found Jomei on his doorstep. “Did something happen?” He was too polite to be more specific, but it wasn’t necessary. The edges of the blond man’s shrine robes were singed and he looked like he’d fallen into a scummy pond. Bits of algae clung to his bangs. 

 

The older teen grimaced, looking apologetic and embarrassed. “Can I use your shower and camp out here for a few hours?”

 

“Giving Rei-san a chance to cool off?” he guessed. When Jomei nodded, he held the door open further. “Sure, come on in. Did you need something to wear?”

 

“Usagi-chan said some of our other selves’ stuff was still here if I can get that.”

 

“I’ll put it outside the door.” The blond headed to the bathroom, but Mamoru couldn’t help asking. “You’re dripping  _ and _ you’ve been on fire. What did you do?”

 

“I made a joke about protecting the helpless women like it should be.”

 

The dark haired man winced. “Bet that went over well. You know Rei-san isn’t very fond of your sense of humor.”

 

“She loves my sense of humor. That was just… ill-advised.”

 

He decided to make tea while Jomei cleaned up. The door opened after ten minutes as his friend stepped out, toweling his hair dry. Rather than ask more questions, Mamoru kept his eyes on the steeping brew. If he wanted to talk, he would. 

 

“I don’t know if she even cares about me anymore.”

 

Mamoru wasn’t surprised that was what he’d start with. No matter what life they were living, Rei and Jomei were a tumultuous pair at best. “Of course she does.”

 

“I’m serious. She’s pushing me away, and lately she barely looks at me unless it’s to shout about something I’ve done. I know she’s stressed, but this seems over the top.”

 

“You know she has a temper. Give her some space and she’ll calm down.”

 

Jomei scowled. “That’s not all. It’ll come after her eventually; I know that. It’s just not there yet, so I don’t know why she’s so freaked out. We’d know the instant anything entered the shrine that shouldn’t be there.”

 

One brow arched. “What makes you so sure Rei-san’s not the next target?”

 

Whatever response the blond would have given was lost when his charge suddenly blanched and collapsed. He raced to his master, calling Zoisite. The younger general appeared in seconds, surprised to receive such a desperate summons. 

 

“What is wrong?” Jomei gestured rather than answering, so Zoisite turned and gaped. He crouched at Mamoru’s side, spreading a blanket of soothing magic over him to ease the worst of his pain. “What happened?” he demanded. 

 

“We were talking and he just… fell. What’s going on with him, Zoi?”

 

“I do not know.” He stood. “Help me get him to the bedroom and call Ami.”

 

“And Usagi?”

 

“No,” the medic said immediately. “It would only distress them both if she was here. We will take care of this matter quietly if we can.”

 

With a little maneuvering, Jomei shifted Mamoru onto the other man’s back so he could teleport them both to his room. It was a drain on his powers, but safer and faster than the two of them trying to carry him. The only better answer was to call Kunzite, but their leader was busy and they didn’t want people knowing the prince was ill. Though Ami had been the only one targeted so far, there was no guarantee the enemy wouldn’t go after the men. If they did, Mamoru would be easy pickings in his current state. 

 

Mercury slipped in the window as they arranged him on the bed, computer in hand. When she reached them, her visor appeared over her eyes and figures began to scroll by. Zoisite was on the other side, searching for the problem’s source while simultaneously treating his symptoms. He had to wake up. He just had to.

 

88888888

 

Mamoru felt like he was in a fog. He couldn’t seem to open his eyes, and the voices he thought were nearby were nonetheless dull and vague. He wasn’t even sure who was talking. After all, only Jomei had been there.

 

There? Where? What happened? Why was Jomei with him when it did?

 

“We have to do something,” Jomei contested hotly. Mamoru was almost relieved when he realized who it was, but then he frowned when he realized the feel wasn’t quite right. Jadeite? Why was he transformed? Had there been an attack? Was everyone okay? “If we don’t, who knows what’ll happen?! Usagi would kill us!”

 

Was Usagi there too?

 

“We can’t do anything rash until we know what’s wrong,” Mercury countered. She seemed calm, but there was a tension he didn’t get. Had something happened to Usagi? Why hadn’t he noticed?! “You know how she’d react if we told her he blacked out.”

 

“We cannot draw attention to his weakness.” Was that Zoisite? “We do not know if the enemy will go after him while he is incapable of defending himself.”

 

“What’s… wrong?” Mamoru managed. The others went quiet. “What happened?”

 

A cool hand brushed his forehead. “Can you open your eyes?” Mercury asked gently, waiting until he did so to continue. “What do you remember, Mamoru-san?”

 

It took some effort to summon up the memory. “I was talking to Jomei about Rei-san while I was making tea. Then… nothing. That’s all I can think of until I heard you arguing.”

 

“You collapsed,” she informed him. “Jomei-san was worried, so he called for help. You’ve been unconscious for almost an hour. Have you had health problems recently?”

 

Mamoru flinched, and Jadeite’s jaw set. “You have. Damn it, you idiot, you should know better than to keep this sort of thing secret!”

 

“He has?” Mercury glanced at him. “Did you already know about it?”

 

“No. He has the same sort of look on his face he used every time Kunzite found out he’d been into something he shouldn’t have when we were kids. It’s subtle enough to fool most people, but the four of us had a lot of practice. Usagi would probably call him on it too.”

 

Zoisite shrugged when his girlfriend looked at him. “It was mostly them. Jadeite is right, though; his reaction is enough to make me think this is a recurring problem.”

 

Mamoru was about to protest when a cough tore free. It was followed by several more, not stopping until he was weak and shaken. As he flopped back against his pillow, everyone saw something at the same time – there was black blood on his hand. Determined to handle the matter themselves, the generals called a private meeting with Mercury as the girls’ only representative. 

 

Nephrite was the first to say anything after they explained the situation. “How are we supposed to guard you and the Senshi at the same time? They’re helpless too.”

 

“I dare you to say that to Shocker,” Jadeite commented mildly. 

 

“You’d be in even more trouble if you said it to Rei-chan, so shut up. Seriously, Mamoru. What’s going on, and why are we just finding out?”

 

“I didn’t want to worry anyone. It’s just a few dizzy spells and a cough.”

 

“You passed out without warning and coughed up black blood,” Zoisite pointed out. “Whatever is wrong with you is more troubling than those few symptoms.”

 

Kunzite frowned. “Regardless of severity, we should have been informed before your condition reached this point. Tell me when this began and anything else you may have noticed.”

 

Mamoru sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to soothe a growing headache. “It started during the eclipse. I got really bad chest pains, but when the eclipse ended they did too. I thought that was it, but there was another when Chibiusa-chan tried to go home.”

 

“And since?” Zoisite asked.

 

“A few times a day. This one was worse.”

 

“Are you telling us you’ve collapsed more than once?” Nephrite demanded. 

 

“No. Today was… well, like I said, worse.”

 

The others began to talk, but when their leader held up a hand they immediately fell silent. “Mamoru-sama, you are sure this began with the eclipse?”

 

“I guess. As sure as I can be, anyway.”

 

“And you have not spoken of this to anyone outside this room?” When the prince shook his head, the eldest general closed his eyes for a moment. “Then it will remain that way.”

 

Mercury looked up at him, surprised. “But –”

 

“I realize this conflicts with your loyalty to the princess, but he is safer if no one knows. There is a new enemy on the loose, Lady Mercury. We cannot gamble with Mamoru-sama’s life. I cannot condone it, and Usagi-sama would feel the same.”

 

“She’d  _ want _ to know. He’s the center of her world, Kunzite. If anything happened to him, it would destroy her.”

 

“That is precisely why we are keeping it secret. Should anyone learn the truth, we risk not only his life but everyone’s. If he dies, she will not have the will to continue, and without her the rest of us are helpless.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture that gave away his distress. 

 

“So what can we do?” Nephrite asked. 

 

“Zoisite and Lady Mercury will continue to monitor Mamoru-sama’s condition. She has her powers, so she will not require protection. As such, Zoisite can guard the prince. The rest of us will have to keep a close watch on the other Senshi.”

 

“Rei tried to barbeque me for it already,” Jadeite said.

 

“No, Rei-san tried to barbeque you for your tasteless joke,” Mamoru corrected.

 

“Same thing. My point is that she’s not going to tolerate me watching her all the time. Mina might be more understanding, but Shocker won’t take it either.” 

 

Nephrite winced and nodded. “I think if she catches me hanging around again she’ll throw me in front of a moving bus.”

 

“You are going to have to try,” Kunzite said sternly. “The princess spread her wings three years early. Something prompted it, even made it necessary.”

 

After a long pause, Mamoru had to ask. “Are you sure? Mercury said it was because she overdid it when there were so many Daimons.”

 

“Whatever doubt I had faded when your condition was discovered. With you in such a state you cannot hope to fight. It will fall to her.”

 

“It always does,” Jadeite said, “but she comes out okay.”

 

“Yes, when she has the others to spare her until there is no other way. She cannot fight alone, which means her Senshi must stand with her. To do that, they must survive.”

 

A second silence fell. “What do we do?” Nephrite asked.

 

88888888

 

Makoto scowled at Masato, a hand on her hip as she waited for an explanation as to why he was at her door at eight in the morning on a precious day off. The high school entrance exams were two weeks away, so it was also the last bit of free time she’d have until they were over. 

 

“And I ask again,  _ why _ are you here, especially so early?”

 

Masato shot her a charming grin, though it had slipped momentarily when he saw how irate she was. “I thought I’d take you out today.”

 

“It’s eight o’clock. In the morning. On Sunday. Still waiting for that why, and it’d better be good.” She tapped the fingers of her free hand against the doorframe, making it clear that if she didn’t get an answer soon he’d be in serious trouble.

 

He scrambled for an excuse. “I… know you’ve been studying a lot, so I thought you’d like to go out, get some air. You must be tired of always taking care of yourself.”

 

“Uh-huh.” She clearly wasn’t buying it.

 

Finally, he sighed. “I’m trying to make sure you’re okay. After what happened to Ami-chan… That other stuff was true, though. You deserve a chance to relax”

 

The Senshi of Protection frowned. “I don’t need a guard, Neph.”

 

“I know, but I can still worry, right? If it helps, you don’t have to think about it that way. I’m not your guard; I’m your… date!”

 

“Date,” she repeated. “Really. I didn’t know we were dating.”

 

“Why are you making this so hard?”

 

“You woke me up early on the one day I don’t have to be at school or studying for the next two weeks. Did you think I wasn’t going to make you pay for that?”

 

He’d hoped. “I just want to give you a nice peaceful day off. Is that so horrible?”

 

He looked miserable, so Makoto took pity on him. He meant well; she just had to make sure he understood she wasn’t going to let him make decisions for her. Despite how it grated, Makoto knew she was in trouble if an enemy came before they got their powers back. She’d tolerate it as long as he wasn’t a complete Neanderthal. 

 

“Is Jomei-san giving Rei-chan the same spiel now?” she asked, mischief dancing in her emerald eyes. “Just out of curiosity.”

 

“Maybe. Why?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, but if he is, she’s going to cheerfully murder him.” She stepped back, letting him in. “You might as well be useful and make tea while I change.”

 

It was a test of sorts, and, judging by his expression, he knew it. If he couldn’t handle something as simple as tea, she’d kick him out without a moment’s hesitation. He headed to her precious kitchen as she shook her head and proceeded into her bedroom. 

 

Unsure of the nature of their ‘date’, Makoto had no idea what to wear. Between that and the unseasonable warmth, she could go from shorts and a tank top to slacks and a blouse. Made cross by indecision, partially due to her attraction to the older man, she reached into her closet and grabbed khaki crops, a forest green tank and a lightweight white over shirt. It wasn’t fussy or formal, but it wasn’t too casual either. It would have to do. 

 

When she emerged, her date was pouring a stream of what she recognized by scent as her favorite blend into a mug – the one she preferred. It was a little uncanny and almost irritating. Or flattering; she wasn’t sure. 

 

“I wasn’t sure which type you liked most, so I picked the one I drink on hot days. It’s iced; I hope you don’t mind.” True to his word, there were cubes of ice floating in the pale green liquid. It was also brewed exactly as she would’ve made it herself. Again, she was torn between thinking it was annoying and cute. Rather than deciding, she took a sip. He poured himself a cup and did the same. 

 

Makoto had never been accused of cowardice, but letting awkward silence linger stank of it. She bit back an angry snarl, knowing he’d think he’d done something to make her mad. 

 

“So what would you like to do?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts. “Pick your poison, Makoto. We can even go skydiving if you want.”

 

Instead, she set her cup aside with a decisive thump. “If Kunzite told you to be my bodyguard, just admit it. I won’t get  _ too  _ angry.”

 

Masato frowned and put his down as well. “I thought you knew I enjoy your company. You make it sound like I have to be ordered to spend time with you.”

 

“Are you saying that isn’t what’s going on?”

 

“Yes and no.” She was about to say something rude, but he held up a hand. “Hear me out. Yes, I was told to keep an eye out. We’re worried, so it’s best if we stay close. That’s not why I’m here, though. I came because I  _ want _ to see you.”

 

After a few seconds’ consideration, Makoto decided he was telling her the truth. “So… Whatever I want to do, huh?”

 

“Why are you smiling like that?”

 

88888888

 

“Dear gods and goddesses, woman, are you insane?” he hissed.

 

Makoto smirked as she dropped into a chair. The day had been spent shopping. Not for clothes or something simple, oh no. She’d led him to every garden and kitchen supply shop in a ten kilometer range as he carried her most ‘precious’ purchases. Some of them were huge. 

 

With some work, Masato finished stacking her things by the table at the bistro she’d chosen for dinner before taking a seat himself. “How do you manage all this when you don’t have some poor sap to do it for you?”

 

“You volunteered,” she reminded with a wicked little smile. 

 

“To take you out so you could have fun, not to be your pack animal.”

 

“You should’ve clarified. Besides, I did have fun.”

 

He shook his head. “Please just tell me we’re not doing anymore.”

 

She hummed, tapping her nails against the table. “I make no promises.”

 

“I can’t imagine any place will have something you need after all this.” With a sigh, he focused on his menu. “You can be pretty damn vindictive, do you know that?”

 

Once his irritation at being treated like a pack mule wore off, they managed a quiet, polite dinner. Their normal teasing was put on hold due to the public setting and her resentment. She missed it – after her initial distrust, she’d forgiven him quickly. She just wouldn’t stand for being treated like she was helpless. Senshi or no, she could fight. 

 

“Makoto?”

 

Her attention suddenly returned to him and their conversation. “What?”

 

“Where did you just wander off to?”

 

With a frown, she shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. We should go; I still want to make it to one more store before it closes. You up to it?”

 

“Only if you are.”

 

She thought about taking it as a challenge, but he smiled and she changed her mind. No matter how irritated she was, she knew he only wanted what was best for her. They stopped by her apartment to drop off what she’d bought. That done, he walked with her to the last shop. Their hands came together halfway there. She couldn’t say which of them initiated the contact. 

 

“Herb Heaven, huh?” he said as they approached. “Don’t you grow your own?”

 

“Yeah, but there are some I have to buy. Even I can’t get tropical plants to survive here.”

 

Masato shrugged, not interested. “You must have some of everything, though.”

 

“I’m running out of the rarer ones. There are types that still have to be foraged.”

 

The pair entered the store, and the proprietor watched Makoto with an expression that had Masato on edge. He couldn’t say why – the other man hadn’t done anything, but the guy didn’t even look at him. He only had eyes for her. She was his, damn it. It was unacceptable. 

 

Coughing politely, he broke the stare and pretended the momentary lapse hadn’t happened. He didn’t actively think of himself as Nephrite despite his acceptance of his past self, and he certainly didn’t think Makoto was his just because their previous incarnations had been engaged. Things were different in their new reality and he understood that. 

 

“If you’re looking for rarer herbs, you’re in luck,” the shopkeeper said. “Amazonian plants are my specialty.”

 

Makoto shot Masato a gleeful smile before turning to the clerk. “Really? I’ve been dying to get my hands on the wild teas I’ve heard about. Do you carry any? The only ones I’ve seen want a small fortune for just a few grams.”

 

He tapped his fingers on his chin. “Wild teas… There are wild Amazonian teas?”

 

“Don’t mess with me,” she said warningly. “Answers. Give.”

 

“Wild teas…” When her dark look sharpened, he laughed. “Of course I have some. I even picked a few varieties myself when I was deciding what I wanted to carry.”

 

“Great! They’re dried, right? I’d hate for them to go to waste.”

 

“Yes, they’ve been through proper tea preservation.”

 

“How much?” she asked as he took a box out of a display case set in the front of the counter. “Oh, make it two or three.”

 

“I only have two right now, I’m afraid.” He tapped one. “For this size container, it’s 2900 yen each. If you add taxes, for two boxes it’s 6200 yen.”

 

“Done.” Makoto fished out her wallet and passed him seven thousand-yen bills. “Keep the change. Oh.” She grabbed a scrap of paper and scribbled her name and number on it. “Can you call if you get more? I’d like first shot. Your prices are too good to pass up.”

 

“Sure,” the man smiled as he rang up the sale. “You’re my first customer anyway.”

 

“Thanks!” she said as she hurried out with her purchases, Masato shooting a suspicious look at the owner before following her. “See you next time!”

 

Once out of earshot, he frowned. “There was something strange going on in there. If you were his first customer, how did you hear about the place?”

 

“I saw it while it was being put in, Neph. Why are you being so suspicious?”

 

“Hey, listen to me. That guy was  _ off _ .”

 

Makoto stopped to study him. “Are you all right? You didn’t overdo it today, did you?”

 

“Of course not,” he said, mildly offended. “It takes more than shopping to wear me out.”   
  


She shrugged. “You’re just overreacting because Kunzite told you to keep an eye out. He’s a shopkeeper, nothing more. There’s nothing to worry about.”

 

He didn’t say anything else until she was inside, and she respected his mood enough to let it be. Despite his fairly even temper, Nephrite had been prone to random bouts of sullenness. Jupiter had privately thought it had something to do with the burden of seeing the future. Mars raged, and Nephrite brooded. Everyone dealt with things differently.

 

Mindful of his task, he waited until her lights went out before going home. His thoughts settled on his telescope and he prayed for a cloudless night – he was determined to find some answers even if he had to beg the stars for them.

 

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Despite his misgivings, the wait continued. Masato kept his eyes open but nothing really happened, so he was forced to back off and let Makoto go about her life. Studying took up her every minute anyway, so she was never alone for long. Still, he knew she was the one they were after. He also swore he’d do everything in his power to keep her safe. 

 

He leaned against the wall outside Hikawa Shrine, waiting for the girls. Jomei kept an eye out there, though Rei gave him plenty of trouble.  He took over once Makoto left, making sure she got home. It was a lot of work, balancing his schooling with his duties as a Shitennou, but the people he loved were important enough to be worth it. 

 

Crunching leaves alerted him to the girls’ exit, so he melted into the shadows. She knew he was there, but she ignored it as long as he let her have the illusion of privacy. The others left alone – Ami and Usagi could protect themselves, and Kunzite could be at Minako’s side in a heartbeat if trouble arose. He followed Makoto down the street, far enough away to make her comfortable without being too far to step in. He was unpleasantly surprised when instead of turning into her building she kept going, knowing she meant to return to the herb shop despite the late hour and his warnings. Transforming, he sent his shadow after her. It’d have to do.

 

“Hey,” she chirped as she breezed in. “You called?”

 

The other man smiled as she planted her elbows on the counter. “Yeah. We got in a new type of tea today and I wanted to give you that first shot you asked for. I just made a pot if you want to try it.”

 

Makoto grinned. “Absolutely. I have to say thank you…”

 

He caught her hesitation. “Oh, I never introduced myself? I’m Hawk’s Eye.” He seemed to realize how unusual that sounded. “It’s tribal.”

 

That struck a chord, but she brushed it off. She or Masato would’ve noticed any trouble. The brunette took the tea he offered and sipped, letting the flavor spread over her tongue. “It’s good,” she told him. “A touch bitter, but not too bad. And it’s somehow sweet at the same time.”

 

“Yes, there are a lot of natural sweeteners to be found in the jungle. I like the one in this blend; it only tastes sweet without being really sugary, so it’s better for you.”

 

They drank quietly for several beats. Finally, she set her cup down with the sharp click of porcelain on glass. “Well, you’ve made another sale. This stuff is amazing.”

 

“I’m glad you think so, Sailor Jupiter.”

 

The world dipped and turned, and it took a second for her title to penetrate the heavy fog choking her brain. “Drugged,” she whispered, glancing at the teacup. “You set me up.”

 

The shadow by the door recoiled and disappeared moments before it would have been noticed by two newcomers. They were girls, younger than the Senshi. Both were dressed in what seemed to be circus costumes, one green, one blue, and after several moments’ sluggish thought Makoto realized they had to be from the Dead Moon Circus. 

 

“How good of you to notice,” the one in green sneered as Makoto collapsed.

 

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Nephrite pressed his back to the rafters, just out of sight of the enemies. The stars burned a warning through the window he’d broken to get in – if Makoto didn’t find Jupiter’s strength, she’d die before he could stop it. Kunzite wouldn’t come until he’d made sure Minako was safe, and Zoisite had work. Help would be too late. He activated the communicator just in case.

 

Static enlivened the air, the prickle making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The feeling was familiar, but it took a while to place it. “Arashi…” he whispered, remembering.

 

The electricity coalesced around Makoto, becoming a great coiled dragon with its front claws cradling her. It snarled when the two girls tried to approach, warning them away. Nephrite dropped to the ground, meriting a sharp look from the beast before he was allowed to get closer. 

 

“I can bring her back,” the legendary beast promised. “Just give us time.”

 

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It was emptiness, loneliness, darkness – things she hated, feelings she avoided at all costs. It was too much like losing her family. She whimpered and curled in on herself, strength fading. She had to hold on, even if all she had was her own limbs, because if she didn’t, she’d shatter. 

 

“It’s a dream,” Makoto promised herself. Her voice was too loud in her otherwise lifeless surroundings. “It’s only a dream. I have to wake up.”

 

Despite that, she sensed things in the dark, beyond the range of her limited vision. They’d hurt her if they could, so she held on tighter. Her fingertips left bruises on her legs and shoulders.

 

_ Hold onto me. You cannot hurt me, and they will come no closer when I am here. _

 

“Who are you? Where are you?”

 

“I am right here.”

 

What appeared to be a miniature white dragon formed less than an arm’s length in front of her. Its scales had streaks of green along the legs and throat. It was long and sinuous, hovering without wings. Sharp, jagged horns pointed back from its face, but there was also a soft beard edging its lower jaw. 

 

She blinked. “You’re albino?”

 

It let out a hissing laugh and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice that belied its diminutive size. “No, I am a creature of the thunder and lightning. I see you have forgotten me, Princess Jupiter of the flowers, Sailor Jupiter of the storms.”

 

“I knew you?” Makoto touched the scales hesitantly, then with confidence as she realized he – the dragon had to be male – felt as familiar under her hand as her own skin. “I knew you. Why don’t I remember?”

 

“You will. There is something you must do first. Find your strength and fight.”

 

“I don’t know how,” she said as he grew and curled around her shoulders, front talons clutching her arm for support. “My powers are gone. It’s like we’re just ordinary girls.”

 

“You have never been and will never  _ be _ ordinary. You are beloved by the gods, a warrior entrusted with their strength.” The dragon studied her gravely. “This is a time of choosing. Find the power or surrender – it is up to you. I cannot help you if you will not help yourself.”

 

“What do I have to do?”

 

“Rather, what do you want to do? Do you want to be Jupiter, or would you prefer to be like all others, knowing you could have been extraordinary? It is your decision.”

 

It was as if she’d been lit up from the inside. Resolve flared in her emerald eyes. “It’s not if I want to be Sailor Jupiter. I  _ am  _ Jupiter. I was born to be with them, with Usagi-chan. I have a responsibility as a Senshi to do everything I can for her – to fight. I want my power.” 

 

Green light speared skyward from her before spreading in a wave, power sweeping away the monsters she’d sensed and tossing them aside like leaves on the wind. When it cleared, a pulsing green crystal heart hovered where the dragon had when he appeared.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Touch it and you will know.”

 

She was the Senshi of Courage, and she would prove it. Defying the darkness at the edges of her brilliance, she took the gem and was complete. Her magic boiled through her veins, more potent than she remembered. The electric sizzle triggered her need to transform. 

 

“JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!”

 

Power flew, a storm summoned by her will alone. Her rumpled clothes were replaced with a sleek Senshi’s uniform. The rest of the accessories flashed into place. Once her tiara formed, burning with energy, she knew she was more than she had been.

 

“Welcome back, storm’s child.”

 

She looked down at her gloved hands. “I did it. I did it! I’m Jupiter again! Arashi, thank you!” She smiled, reaching out to stroke his scales. “How did you survive all this time?”

 

“Someone had to guard your crystal until your inevitable return. Who better than one who knew you well? I slept in the Great Storm until I knew you were ready.”

 

“How do we get out?” A wreath of oak leaves came to her hands, pulsing with the power she was still feeling like a high. She recognized it as the sacred weapon of her planet. It made her momentarily uncertain. “Are you sure?”

 

Arashi shook his head as he grew again, extending to his full size. He was only as tall as she was, but he was more than six meters long. His impressive talons left gouges in the ground. “My opinion is unimportant. Only you can say if you are prepared.”

 

“Do I need it?” He nodded. “Then I’m ready. I have to be.”

 

The creatures she’d seen tried to approach. They were nightmares, the monsters under the bed and in the closet that made children cry. She’d never been comforted after her parents died. She would fight them for those that couldn’t. 

 

“JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!” Electrified leaves, razor sharp, shot out. The monsters fell like shadows, insubstantial as darkness itself. It felt like dropping into warm, familiar arms as she finally opened her eyes and faced the real world.

 

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Nephrite felt her coming alive under his hands, and in a flash her clothing was replaced with her uniform and electricity shot through her. He pulled away mere seconds before countless volts would have torn into his fingers. Arashi, himself a storm embodied, was unharmed. 

 

What would have been a cheerful reunion was interrupted when the man who’d drugged her grabbed Nephrite and put a knife to his throat. “Don’t move, or he’ll be dead in seconds.”

 

Jupiter snarled, sparks bursting from her hands and even her hair. “Let go of him.”

 

“SEALING BALL!”

 

Before she could do anything, a force field separated them. The two girls tittered. “You can’t reach them now,” the one in green said. She held up a crystal orb the same shade as her hair and outfit. “I used this Amazon Stone to create a barrier. Nothing can get through.”

 

Nephrite struggled against Hawk’s Eye’s grip, but their positions and the knife gave the circus performer the advantage despite his slight build. It would take time to work his way out. Powers or no, the general was as vulnerable to a slit throat as any other man. 

 

“PallaPalla can’t seal the area,” the blue one said. “Not with the city sealed too.”

 

Her sister – they looked too much alike to be anything else – shrugged. “We’ll manage. The others won’t get here soon enough to stop us from killing them. She doesn’t have special abilities like the rest of the Senshi.”

 

Jupiter bristled. “At least I can fight without cowering behind a shield.”

 

“That isn’t bravery; it’s stupidity.” She glanced at PallaPalla. “Hey, do something with the man. That bird-brain won’t be able to hold him for much longer.”

 

That made the younger girl nod happily. “PallaPalla can do that. BINDING BALL!”

 

A complex series of straps appeared and wound around him. As they did, he let out a shout of pain as he reverted to civilian form. Jupiter growled again when she realized the bonds had cut him off from his powers. As she did, a strange vibration shot through her. Arashi swung his massive head her direction, knowing something was going on.

 

“What is it?” he questioned in his deep, rumbling bass. “Jupiter?”

 

“I don’t know. I – I’m shaking. Almost vibrating? Like I’m about to come apart.”

 

The great beast nodded. “Focus on the feeling. Draw it into your center and hold fast.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“When you can stand the power no longer, release it.”

 

She managed a shaky jerk of her head. Harnessing the energy was difficult – every time she tried to grab onto it, another bit would slip free. Finally, she managed to gather it until it felt like it would shake her heart out of her chest. She clung to her dragon, struggling for control.

 

“Arashi…” Her voice trembled, so quiet even his sensitive ears barely heard her.

 

“Hold.”

 

“Arashi!”

 

“Hold, I said!”

 

“ARASHI!” she shrieked as the feeling became unbearable.

 

“Let go.”

 

She did with a scream, shattering into countless shards of light. An instant later she was on the other side of the Amazons’ barrier. Her Leaves came without being called, power tearing into Hawk’s Eye again and again as he died and became a bird. Deprived of his support, Masato sank to his knees. Another burst sprang at the two girls, but the Sealing Ball retracted and the attack failed. Wide eyed, they vanished, leaving what was left of their minion behind. 

 

Jupiter seized the restraining straps and pulled them apart, tearing even after he was free until they were little more than shreds scattered on the floor. A moment later Masato knew she wouldn’t stop at that. She was in a rage she couldn’t escape.

 

“Jupiter,” he murmured, taking her hands. They stilled as what little was left of their old bond kept her from hurting him, but there was still tension coiling in her muscles and her eyes hadn’t lost their wild gleam. “Listen. Look at me, Makoto. Let your anger go. It’s over now.”

 

Arashi turned so he could see them, awkward in the cramped space. Huffing out his annoyance, he shrank to fit more easily. “She has lapsed into a berserker rage.”

 

“I got that. I just don’t know if she’ll still come back for me.”

 

His back rippled in the draconic version of a shrug. “You would know better than I. If you wish to be sure, you will need far more emotion than that. You must love her, and she you. If you cannot manage it, her princess is fast approaching.”

 

He transformed again, hoping that connection would be enough. “Jupiter, Makoto, I need you to look at me. Come back, sweetheart.”

 

She didn’t respond. It was the first time her berserker tendencies had overtaken her in the modern era, and it would be difficult to lead her out again. The drugs were only making it harder. 

 

…She smelled like roses and rain. Like the girl he’d loved and lost, the woman he’d been betrothed to before his fall. A touch of cinnamon was the only difference. Had anything changed between the two? Yes, he knew. Makoto hadn’t had a life of privilege and happiness like Jupiter. She’d suffered. She’d lost her way. If anything, it made their connection stronger. 

 

“Answer me, Makoto. I have something to say, and you have to hear it or it won’t do any good.” Sailor Moon burst through the door, Mercury hot on her heels, but they stopped as they took in the scene. Once she knew she couldn’t help, Mercury equipped her visor and started analyzing the hawk’s corpse. The Moon Senshi took a step forward, but Nephrite shook his head. “I need to know if I can still bring her back.”

 

The blonde nodded, giving him the chance. A storm built overhead, drawn by Jupiter’s anger, but she understood. It was his personal redemption. Losing patience, Nephrite decided words weren’t enough with how little of their original connection was left. He couldn’t ask for her trust without giving his. If showcasing his feelings would do it, well, he’d never regret that. Before he lost his nerve, he leaned forward and kissed her. 

 

The mounting pressure broke, and instead of a full-on storm it began to rain. The shower did nothing to dispel the heat plaguing the city, but it tempered it into something less intolerable. Jupiter sagged in Nephrite’s arms. It took work to rearrange them both until she was in his lap with one of his hands in her long hair. He smiled, focus entirely on her. 

 

After a minute, her eyes opened and locked onto his. “Neph? Thanks.” Sailor Moon and Mercury stepped out, giving them privacy.

 

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said in a low voice. “You saved us. If you hadn’t found your power, we both would’ve died.”

 

“That was Arashi’s doing, not mine. He brought me the Jupiter Crystal. You’re the one who pulled me back. I almost went too far.”

 

“I know. You scared me for a minute.”

 

“Neph, are we…? That is, did you…?”

 

“I kissed you,” he confirmed, knowing what she was trying to ask. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. I’ll deal with it if you don’t want to reciprocate.”

 

“Reciprocate what? Bonding? Did you… bind yourself to me again? Why?”

 

“You needed me, and I love you too much to let you go. I won’t lose you because of our enemies again. If you don’t want me, that’s your call, but I needed you to know that I’ll always be there for you.”

 

When she didn’t say anything, he pulled away. Instead of letting go, she latched her arms around his neck and drew him in for a second kiss. A spark of electricity trailed across them before sinking into their right biceps. Through his sleeve, nothing could be seen, but on her a simple five pointed green star formed. A black thread twined around it, with several smaller deep emerald stars dotting its edges. She turned her head to see it. 

 

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.”

 

He traced the design with one finger. “I never thought I would see it again. Not on you; not after what I did to you.”

 

“Stop worrying about that,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care what happened a thousand years ago, or when the Dark Kingdom had you in this life. That’s not who you are. Was I hurt when I realized? Yes. I got over it, because you’re worth too much for me to give you up over a little pain. I need  _ you _ .”

 

Rather than arguing, he kissed her again. It was too amazing after how long they’d been apart to want to stop. After a few minutes, she’d pushed up his sleeve to see her planetary sigil on his arm, and they stepped out to rejoin Sailor Moon and Mercury.

 

Jupiter had barely cleared the threshold when Sailor Moon began to tremble, her skin icy and pale. “Mamo-chan.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Jupiter demanded, recognizing the tone. 

 

“They’re after him. Chibiusa-chan is with him, but she can’t fight them off on her own. She’s not strong enough. Mamo-chan. I have to get to Mamo-chan!”

 

Her wings shot out in all their splendor, and before the others could say anything to stop her she was gone. Mercury shot them a worried look. “We have to go after her.”

 

The other girl nodded. “I can try teleporting again, but I don’t feel it like I did.”

 

“Teleport? How did you –?”

 

“There is no time to explain,” Arashi boomed as he emerged from the shop behind them, resuming his full size. “Mount. I see my arrival was no mere coincidence; there are dark plots underway in this world.”

 

“Arashi, can I go ahead?”

 

He shook his head. “You just discovered that power. It will not come again until needed, and even then you will only transport yourself.” He nudged her with his muzzle. “Hurry.”

 

She vaulted onto his back, pulling Mercury up after her as Nephrite did the same. “Can we make it to him in time?”

 

His snort was clearly derisive. “I ride storms, Jupiter. I can reach a fight before it ends.”

 

The dragon sprang aloft before anyone could say anything, streaking through the sky. They couldn’t catch up to Sailor Moon – she had a significant lead and no extra weight to carry – but they weren’t too far behind. 

 

Mamoru’s balcony door was wide open. Kunzite was grappling with two monsters, and Chibi Moon was trying to hold off another while her future mother fought four at once. The most shocking appearance was that of a white Pegasus with a golden horn. Mamoru was in a corner with the animal in front of him, fending off anything that came too close. It was bleeding from several wounds, but it never budged from its position. 

 

An unfamiliar voice sounded inside their heads.  _ Fight, Sailor Moon!  _ It ordered.

 

The command was unnecessary. The Moon Senshi was swinging her Spiral Heart Moon Rod at every approach, but they were only pushed back. Kunzite was making more progress, but it took work to destroy even one of the beasts.

 

The Pegasus rolled its eyes nervously.  _ Hold up the rod, Sailor Moon! And Chibi Moon! _

 

Startled, the two girls did as they were told. The Pegasus’ golden horn flared, and as it did their weapons began to change. Sailor Moon’s became a long glass kaleidoscope, light refracting through it to cast beautifully colored patterns on the floor. Chibi Moon’s became a small golden bell with a pink heart-shaped handle. 

 

The younger girl stared. “What is it?”

 

_ It is the Crystal Carillon. Ring it and I will come if I can. For you, Sailor Moon, that is the Moon Kaleidoscope. It has the power to defeat these enemies without forcing you to use energy best left alone. To use it, say ‘Moon Gorgeous Meditation’. Now hurry and save him! He cannot fight in his condition! _

 

That was all it took to galvanize her into action. She swung the new weapon, feeling its power grow with each move. “MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!”

 

An explosion of light poured from the tip, catching the Lemures and crushing them to nothing. As everything went quiet, the Pegasus sank to its knees and nudged Mamoru with is nose. It paid no attention to the blood pouring down its flank. 

 

_ Master? Master, they came to save you. You must wake. Please answer me. I cannot linger in this world for much longer. _

 

Chibi Moon ran over and put her hands to one of the wounds. “You’re hurt!”

 

It glanced at her briefly.  _ It will heal in time. _

 

“But you’re bleeding,” Sailor Moon agreed before shifting Mamoru’s head into her lap. “Mamo-chan, can you hear me?”

 

Kunzite looked away. “I do not know if he will be able to respond. He is very ill.”

 

“Ill?” she repeated. “What happened? Did they hurt him before I got here?”

 

The eldest general shook his head as Nephrite cringed. “He has been unwell for a few weeks. He did not want you to know.”

 

Her hand, which had been running comfortingly through his hair, stilled. “What do you mean, he didn’t want me to know? Something was wrong with him and you didn’t tell me?”

 

“What could you have done?” Mercury began before her leader rounded on her. 

 

“You too! Mercury, how could you?!”

 

Nephrite frowned as Jupiter shot him a dirty look. “He didn’t want you to worry. We found out when he collapsed in front of Jadeite. Jade called Zoisite, and Zoi brought in Mercury to help. They’re doing everything they can.”

 

“But what is it?!” she demanded, tears in her eyes. “What’s happening?! Tell me!”

 

Mercury and Nephrite backed away, leaving Kunzite to answer. He sighed. “This is only speculation, but it seems that the enemy is not only attacking us, but the planet itself. His spirit is linked to the Earth’s, and as such he is suffering with it. He will not recover until it does, and for that the enemy must be defeated. It will only grow worse until then.”

 

“I’ll stop them,” she said, ignoring the impossibility of it. She had no way of knowing what to do with so little information. “I have my crystal and the Kaleidoscope. I can do it.”

 

The Pegasus reared its head, legs scrabbling beneath it in an attempt to get to its feet.  _ No! Whatever you do, you cannot face them yet! You will need aid, Sailor Moon! You must wait until the others are ready to join you! _

 

Mercury frowned. “What do you know about our enemies?”

 

It subsided, sagging to the ground once more.  _ You must believe me, Sailor Mercury. The rest of your team has to regain their true strength and power before you can hope to match them. _

 

Kunzite studied him. “You call him master. There are few that can claim such a thing, fewer still that live and recall. Will you not declare yourself?”

 

_ Forgive my rudeness – my injuries drain what little strength I possess and I have been focused only on protecting Master.  _

 

A light flared in its horn, and as it spread the Pegasus was shrouded in a shimmering veil of magic. When it cleared, a young man with white hair was kneeling by Mamoru. He still possessed the golden horn, but he wore a simple white uniform. Blood rapidly soaked his side.

 

“Helios!” Sailor Moon gasped.

 

He inclined his head respectfully. “I am glad to see you well, Princess Serenity, though I regret the circumstances. Kunzite-sama, thank you for working so diligently to protect Master. Nephrite-sama, it gives me great joy to see you alive and well once again.”

 

“Yeah, you too,” he said genially. “Zoisite and Jadeite are on their way.”

 

“I hope you will bear them the same message. I will not be able to stay so long.” The priest stood, ignoring his wounds. “Kunzite-sama is unfortunately correct in regards to Master’s condition. The Dead Moon Circus placed a curse in the heart of Elysion as they attacked. If they succeed, the Earth will be covered in darkness.”

 

“What do I have to do?” the Moon Senshi asked quietly. 

 

“The Golden Crystal must be awakened. Together with the Silver Crystal, it will have the strength to defeat the queen of the new moon.” Before they could say anything else, Helios let out a cry and collapsed. His human form faded and the Pegasus vanished, and as he did Mamoru curled into himself, choking on a gasp of pain. 

 

“You should go,” Mamoru whispered to Sailor Moon. “I don’t want the curse to get you.”

 

“I won’t leave you,” she contested. 

 

The others exchanged solemn looks before slipping out. 

 

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“The computer didn’t have much,” Ami told Rei, Makoto, and Minako quietly. Usagi and Chibiusa were still with Mamoru. “All I know is that Queen Serenity banished a woman named Nehellenia the day the princess was born.”

 

“Why?” Minako asked.

 

“It doesn’t say, but whatever she did was so terrible that she was sealed in the shadow of the new moon. The eclipse must have weakened the bonds enough for her to escape.”

 

“Do you have anything, Neph?” Makoto called.

 

The second general shook his head as he came back from the balcony. “I can’t understand the starsong when it’s so agitated.”

 

Rei sighed. “I remember something. Queen Serenity came and asked if the kingdom was cursed not long before you disappeared. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now I wonder.”

 

“Was it?” Jadeite wanted to know. 

 

“You won’t find a kingdom that isn’t,” she said. “Rulers have enemies, no matter how benevolent they are. Most curses just don’t come through. If this Nehellenia was sealed away, the queen thought banishment wouldn’t be enough. If she actually cursed the Silver Millennium… It would’ve bypassed the Silver Crystal’s power, and that was basically impossible.”

 

“So now what?” Minako demanded.

 

The question hovered uncomfortably until they decided to take Usagi and Chibiusa home and keep watch over Mamoru.

 

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Rei gritted her teeth. Jomei was discreet, but he’d been following her and her classmates for hours, and she was losing her temper. Danger or no, she wouldn’t tolerate being treated like a weakness. He had to get that straight if he was even considering rebuilding their relationship. 

 

Once the girls had what they needed for the assignment, they left quickly. They’d chosen to be in her group, but it was because her projects always got high marks. Her peers feared her powers and wanted nothing to do with her outside school. 

 

“Jomei, get over here!”

 

The blond was at her shoulder in seconds. “You bellowed, darling?”

 

“What on earth are you doing hovering around like a stalker while I work on a school project, hm?” she demanded, voice dangerously low and fingers curled into fists. “I thought I told you what would happen if you followed me.”

 

“Rei –”

 

“Don’t you ‘Rei’ me,” the miko hissed. “I can take care of myself. I do  _ not _ want you hanging around. Now I suggest you get back to the shrine before I kick you out entirely.”

 

“If you don’t want my protection, why are you letting me stay there?” he asked. 

 

“I let you stay because you were willing to stand up to my father, not because I wanted a babysitter. If you keep it up, I’ll gladly let you go home and deal with your family complaining about your getting fired.”

 

He whistled through his teeth. “Harsh. Really, though, you need to calm down. I don’t want to intrude or anything, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m under orders to keep an eye on you and I can’t do it if I’m not there.”

 

“I don’t care. Go away.”

 

“Rei, be reasonable.”

 

She snarled. “It’s perfectly reasonable to want your own life. If I won’t let my father tell me what I do, why should I let you?”

 

“I’m not trying to be a dictator; I’m trying to keep you safe. What will you do if you’re attacked? You’d be lucky if a charm stopped one of the monsters for more than a second.”

 

The miko rounded on him, practically spitting in anger. “Out of all the people here, how many do you think you’ve hurt, Jadeite?” she asked with sickly sweetness. “Do you really think you can protect me? I  _ killed _ you. I’ll do it again if you’re not careful.”

 

“You’re out of line,” he warned, his own temper starting to boil. “Don’t throw my past in my face; you know I wasn’t responsible for what happened.”

 

“Then don’t treat me like I can’t take care of myself. I managed well enough before you showed up, and I’ll be fine long after you’re gone.”

 

Jomei’s eyes darkened from their normal cerulean to midnight. “I’m warning you, Rei. Bring it down a notch before one of us does something we’ll regret.”

 

She was too angry to take back what she’d said, but she had enough sense to stop before things got worse. Rei turned on her heel and left, ignoring him as he followed. 

 

88888888

 

“So why are you pretending he’s not there this time?” Makoto asked as she looked at the three men in the yard. Nephrite was with Mamoru, but the other Shitennou were having a meeting as the girls carried on with theirs. “Did you two have another fight?”

 

“You could say that,” Minako said with a snort. “According to Kunzite, Jomei-kun’s been out of sorts since they got into it at the mall. Apparently dear, sweet Rei-chan decided to throw the Dark Kingdom in his face when he was trying to keep an eye on her.”

 

“Oh, Rei,” Usagi said tiredly.

 

The four of them looked at her in concern. In the three days since their entrance exams, a week after Makoto and Mamoru had been attacked, they doubted she’d gone home for more than an hour. Usagi’s every spare moment was spent at his bedside. She’d called his school, arranged for Motoki to get his notes, tried to keep him fed despite repeated failed attempts, and had generally been the most selfless person imaginable. The wear showed.

 

“Maybe you should go home,” Rei suggested tentatively. “You look burned out, Usagi. Did you get any rest at all last night?”

 

“A little. He started coughing up blood again not long after I laid down.”

 

Makoto shook her head. “You’ve barely slept in days; you’ll make yourself sick if you don’t start being more careful.”

 

“You’re exposed to the curse all the time,” Ami observed. “Aren’t you worried it’ll start affecting you too?”

 

“It’s better than leaving him to suffer.”

 

“He’s not alone,” Mina argued. “The guys are there. Someone is always watching.”

 

“And what will happen when the curse reaches them? Their link to the planet isn’t as strong, but it’s still there. It’ll hurt them too.”

 

“That doesn’t mean you can wear yourself to the bone,” Ami cautioned. “You’ll have to be the one to deal with whoever is behind this.”

 

“I’ll manage. I always do,” Usagi said shortly, getting up. “I need to go; I’m supposed to pick Chibiusa-chan up from school.”

 

“Are you going home after that?” Makoto asked, standing as well. “Usagi-chan, we don’t want to force the issue, but you have to take care of yourself.”

 

“I’m going to Mamo-chan’s.” She left before the others could argue, and Makoto sat down again with a sigh.

 

“No matter what we say, she’ll focus on him,” Ami observed. “Wouldn’t we all? If it was Zane-san, I’d do the same thing.”

 

Makoto and Minako nodded, but Rei turned up her nose. “Maybe you can be so reckless, but some of us are more self-aware.”

 

“You mean you’re too stubborn to tell him how you feel, so you push him away when he’s only trying to help,” Mina said dryly.

 

“Shut up, Minako-chan.”

 

“We don’t need you two fighting,” Makoto cautioned. “Things are tense enough.”

 

The priestess glared before sighing. “I know. He just makes me so angry sometimes! It’s like trying to live with a clown!”

 

“Clown,” Ami repeated, frowning. “Mako-chan, didn’t you say the girls who attacked you looked like they came from a circus?”

 

“Yeah, and you and Helios both said something along the same lines. Didn’t he call the enemy the Dead Moon Circus?”

 

“What if it’s the circus that came to town during the eclipse?”

 

The girls lapsed into horrified silence as the idea took hold.

 

“Who knows how many people they’ve taken control of by now?” Rei whispered.

 

88888888

 

“You shouldn’t be here on your own,” Luna scolded. “At least call Usagi-chan.”

 

“You know she never leaves Mamoru-san for more than a minute,” Makoto replied as they joined the crowd pouring into the circus. “We can investigate on our own.”

 

“You and Ami-chan can, but what about Rei-chan and Minako-chan?” Artemis demanded while Ami bought their tickets. “Neither of them have their magic.”

 

The blonde rounded on her guardian. “Are you saying I’m not allowed to lead my team just because of a few measly powers?”

 

The little cat backpedaled quickly. “No, of course not. I just think you should be careful. At least wait until the Shitennou can go with you!”

 

“We don’t need them,” Rei said stonily. “We managed just fine before.”

 

The Mauans exchanged worried looks but pressed on. “Ami-chan, talk some sense into them,” Luna pleaded. “You know how dangerous it is to go in without backup.”

 

She hesitated. “I agree it’d be best if we had that option, but I think we’re doing the right thing. We need information, and the enemy can’t hurt us as easily as Mamoru-san or the others. Mako-chan and I can protect Rei-chan and Minako-chan.”

 

“What are you hoping to find?” Artemis asked. “They won’t leave their plans lying around, and the girls Mako-chan told us about have powers. Even if it’s only the two of them, you’d be hard pressed to fight and still keep each other safe.”

 

“I don’t need protected,” Minako reminded him. “Right, Artemis?”

 

Everyone caught the underlying threat in her seemingly perky tone. He gulped, recalling a particular incident involving purple drink mix. The color hadn’t washed out of his fur for weeks, and he had a grape juice phobia on top of it. “R-right…”

 

“Should we split up?” Makoto asked.

 

Rei smirked viciously. “I’m fine on my own.”

 

“I am, too,” Minako agreed.

 

“Girls,” Luna sighed, “think this through. The enemy knows who you are. They might be waiting for you to wander off so they can try to kill you.”

 

“Ami-chan and Mako-chan got their powers back when they were attacked. There’s no reason we wouldn’t manage the same thing,” Minako said, tossing her hair dramatically.

 

“We were rescued,” Makoto reminded. “If Arashi hadn’t come, I would’ve died.”

 

“Where is he?” Ami asked.

 

“He said he’d be around, but he’s not likely to get involved unless he thinks I’m in real trouble. If something happens to the rest of you, I doubt he’d do anything. Dragons don’t have the same priorities people do, especially not old ones.”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Rei said firmly. “I’m going alone. If anything happens, I’ll page you. Besides, I’m psychic. If anyone is going to find something, it’ll be me. I need space to focus, and I can’t manage that if one of you is staring over my shoulder.”

 

“You said you couldn’t get much without your powers,” Ami reminded.

 

The miko shrugged. “That’s why I need to concentrate. You’re all too strong; your auras make it hard to See.”

 

Arguments exhausted, Luna hung her head. “Artemis and I will wait here. Be careful, all right? Usagi-chan will never forgive me if something happens to you.”

 

Rei ignored them, already headed in the opposite direction. Jomei had been evaded for the time being, since she’d left with the others and he thought she’d stay with them. The men had more faith in Ami and Makoto than they did in her or Minako despite the fact they outranked the other two. It smarted.

 

For early afternoon on a weekday, the circus grounds were surprisingly full, and the dirt underfoot was practically coated in garbage. The temperature was high enough that a stench was rising from it, but no one seemed to notice through their general distemper. 

 

“Everyone is so angry,” she murmured once she reached an empty bench to take a moment and observe. “It’s only gotten worse since this circus arrived.”

 

“Is something wrong?” a man asked genially. Something immediately struck her as off, but her sixth sense wasn’t working. She couldn’t get a psychic lock on him. It was like a mirage – the image was there, but it had no depth. She frowned. “Miss?”

 

“I’m fine,” she said shortly. “I’ll just be on my way.”

 

“Where are you headed?”

 

She turned to face him. He was handsome enough, with long golden brown hair and amber eyes. It was her oddly blind inner eye that kept her from trusting him. “Does it matter?”

 

He shrugged. “No man likes to see a pretty girl out alone.”

 

“I don’t want company.”

 

The man offered a charming smile. “Are you sure? It seems like a waste.”

 

Rei considered pushing him into a nearby pile of manure, but he seemed like he was being genuinely friendly. The lack of psychic awareness was distressing, but her powers had been drained after their fight with the Death Busters. She wondered if she’d exhausted her planetary ability. Her visions were fleeting and broken, and she hadn’t sensed anything about the circus. Maybe it was exactly what it seemed – just another touring group.

 

“I’ll make you a deal,” she said after a long pause. “You can show me around, and if you somehow manage to impress me we can go see the next performance.”

 

“Great.” He extended a hand for a Western handshake. “Moribashi Toranosuke.”

 

88888888

 

It was… nice, she decided. The man was perfectly civil, and if she showed even a hint of temper he backed off. His non-combative attitude was relaxing, considering how often Jomei made her want to pull her hair out. She could get used to it. 

 

Her calm demeanor turned to anger when the very man she was trying not to think about showed up, glaring daggers at her companion. “Rei, what are you doing here?”

 

“Go away,” she hissed. “I don’t need this right now.”

 

“What’s going on?”

 

The miko bit back a tired sigh before putting on a polite smile. “Moribashi-san, this is Miyamoto Jomei. He works at my family’s shrine.”

 

He nodded politely. “Miyamoto-san.”

 

Jomei ignored him. “You know better than wandering off alone; you had me worried sick when I didn’t find you with the others. They’re ready to leave.”

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“Keiji caught wind of this little outing and asked me to make sure you and Mina-chan got home safely.”

 

“You don’t need to worry about me,” she said sharply. “I’m fine on my own. Don’t act like I need permission to go to the circus!”

 

He caught her arm and tugged her to one side. His expression was atypically serious. “It’s not that and you know it. This place is suspicious.”

 

“That’s why I’m here, you idiot,” she hissed. “We needed to investigate, and it’s easier to concentrate when you aren’t in my way. Not that it matters; things seem fine.”

 

Jomei snorted. “I’m not sure where you got that impression. The whole area reeks of dark magic; it almost made me sick walking in.”

 

“You’re imagining things,” Rei said hotly. “I haven’t noticed a thing, and you can’t claim to be more perceptive than I am.”

 

“I’m saying you don’t have your powers and the enemy could be trying to hide from you. You’re not thinking straight, Rei. Doesn’t that guy give you the creeps?”

 

“Why should he?! He’s been perfectly polite, unlike some people I know!”

 

“Everything I do is to keep you safe.” His voice dropped. “You should know that.”

 

“I don’t want to be kept safe.” She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand. “Let me go, Jomei. We’re not doing this right now.”

 

“Maybe we should. You have to know how much I lo-”

 

“Is everything all right, Hino-san?”

 

If looks could kill, Moribashi would have been torn to thousands of bloody pieces and left to rot in the garbage. “Everything is fine,” Jomei bit out. “We were just leaving.”

 

She had softened, she reluctantly admitted, but his arrogance was infuriating. Rei pulled her hand out of his grip. “Actually, why don’t you go ahead? I’ll be home in a bit.”

 

“Rei…”

 

Despite how weak her powers had become, she could feel his emotions pounding at her in the remnants of their bond. Her temper was unwilling to be extinguished, though, and she smiled at her new companion instead. “I thought you promised to see the show with me.”

 

Moribashi looked between them, uncertain. “Are you sure? Your friend’s worried.”

 

“He’ll be fine.”

 

Her tone was icy as she pushed him out, and Jomei recoiled like she’d physically struck him. He growled, anger mounting. “Sure. I’m just peachy. I hope you know what you’re doing, Rei. I won’t be in the mood for your apologies if this blows up in your face.”

 

He stomped off before the miko could reply, leaving her with an unknown in the middle of a circus that was shady at best, if only because of how swiftly and silently they had appeared. 

 

88888888

 

“Why don’t we go in here?” Moribashi suggested a few minutes later, gesturing at a house of mirrors. “There’s still a half hour until the next big act.”

 

She studied it with a frown. “These are just optical illusions. How is that any fun?”

 

“The amusement comes in letting yourself react without thinking. For a priestess, you’re very literal sometimes.”

 

That gave her pause. “I never said I was a priestess.”

 

“You said your family has a shrine, so I thought you were a miko. I apologize if I’m presuming too much.”

 

Rei relaxed. “No, you’re right. I tend to see things in black and white; it’s part of the reason Jomei and I don’t get along very well.”

 

“Are you two dating?”

 

“Dating?!” she repeated. “No! We’re friends, I guess, though that might be a stretch.”

 

“He seemed very concerned for a coworker and sort-of friend, and you refer to each other without using any honorifics.”

 

There was nothing she could say about the lack of formality; she’d never referred to him with any sort of polite address, had never even thought about it. “He’s a busybody. My friends ran into some trouble, and he’s convinced himself I’ll be next.” 

 

“Will you?”

 

“I don’t know. Bad things happen, and fate isn’t easily predicted. If I’m in trouble, all I can do is face it. I won’t cower at home as someone else deals with the problem.” Rei wondered how the conversation had taken such a philosophical bent, but before she could comment he nodded toward the door before giving her a questioning look, reminding her of what they had first been discussing. 

 

“So, yes or no?”

 

It would at least give them something to do, she thought. “Sure. Why not?”

 

88888888

 

“Moribashi-san?” she called, turning slowly in a circle. 

 

Not long after entering, the two had been separated by a shifting wall. They’d shouted back and forth to find each other, but suddenly there was no response. Rei bit her lip, worried. If their suspicions were right, the circus was enemy territory and she was alone without her powers. 

 

Something moved at the edge of her vision and she spun, hand automatically going to her useless Star Wand. “Who’s there?” she shouted.

 

A raspy sound like unvoiced laughter echoed around her, and a dreadful realization set in – there were no reflections in the mirrors. Dark magic filled the room in waves, so dense she could practically taste it.  _ The mirror will show you your true self, _ the shadows whispered. 

 

Rei smirked defiantly. “There is no truth in glass.”

 

_ So brave, lady. Do you really believe so little in what you see with your own eyes? Have you transcended mortal limitations to such an extent? _

 

“I was trained to see the unseen. Why should such a limit affect me?”

 

_ You are so unhappy in your dreadful life. Your so-called friends are the cause. You have never known true happiness, have you? _

 

“My friends are my happiness. Your blatant lies can’t fool me.” She tossed her hair in a gesture that bespoke haughtiness, making it clear how unimpressed she was by their weak attempts to sway her from her path.

 

_ Then look, if you are so certain. Witness the undeniable truth in your reflection. _

 

It was like her gaze was being dragged to the mirror. The image was unbearable. It showed her in the arms of the man who’d seemed normal and kind. Seeing him in the enchanted glass, she knew that too had been false. He was an enemy like the shadows. They kissed, and her reflection was radiantly happy. The real Rei was horrified – she was kissing a monster.

 

Large hands settled on her shoulders and turned her, bringing her face to face with the demon she’d just seen. “You’re not a man,” she accused. “Tell me who you really are.”

 

His laugh sent a chill down her spine. “I didn’t lie… much. You would’ve connected the dots if you had been up to your usual standards, Sailor Mars.”

 

“Be that as it may,” she contested, keeping a brave face, “I don’t have my powers and you know it. You might as well tell me.”

 

“My name is Tiger’s Eye,” he whispered in her ear. “Your sisters took my brothers. I’ll kill you to avenge them.”

 

“Aren’t you going to try to convince me of this fake dream?”

 

“Would you give in to it if I did?”

 

“No.” A charm leapt to her hand. The chant spilled from her lips, triggering the paper’s imbued magic. Rather than tossing it at her enemy, though, she directed it at the enchanted mirror. It shattered, taking the lies with it. “Catch me if you can,” she challenged.

 

Shadows swarmed her and, unable to transform, she was pulled into darkness.

 

88888888

 

Rei’s beloved crows hadn’t stopped making noise since he’d returned to the shrine, so Jomei reluctantly followed them back to the circus. Once they reached the House of Mirrors, the birds refused to go any further and dove at one of the glass walls. 

 

His gaze slid between them. “You have to be clearer if you want me to understand you!”

 

They both locked him with wide-eyed stares before they began attacking with greater desperation. The young general realized with cold, abrupt clarity what had them so distressed. Rei was being attacked somewhere nearby. He found an empty corner and transformed, crafting an illusion to keep anyone from noticing them. 

 

“Where?” he murmured.

 

In his magical state, their voices became coherent.  _ Inside! The exits are closed! Hurry!  _

 

“This panel?” he asked, laying his hands on it. They cawed, so he reached into his power and summoned fire. With a concentrated blast, the wall broke and the crows shot through, flying much faster than he could run in tight quarters. Following, he drew a sword. He favored hand to hand, but it was best to be prepared. 

 

“Devour her!” a female voice ordered through the roar of a big cat and the raucous call of Rei’s devoted companions. 

 

He reached them in time to deflect a tiger away from Rei’s unmoving body, barely noticing when Phobos and Deimos adopted their humanoid forms and hovered at her side. After that his attention was entirely devoted to the enemy. A girl in red stood on the sidelines, but as long as she didn’t move he’d let her be. 

 

“Wake up!” Phobos urged. The beast tried to lunge past him, but he forced it back again. “Princess Mars, please!”

 

“You must awaken your true powers!” Deimos commanded.

 

The tiger’s next attack sent both of them sliding across the slick floors and knocked Jadeite’s sword from his grip. He managed to get his arms up in time to keep the animal from tearing him apart, holding its jaws as he worked for a more advantageous position. If he didn’t find one, they’d die before they ever had a chance.

 

88888888

 

It was strange, but Rei was fighting the grips of the nightmares even without her powers. One after another failed, unable to suppress the brilliance of her true dreams. 

 

_ Wake up! Princess Mars, please! You must awaken your true powers! _

 

Yes, of course, but she didn’t know how. During the Silver Millennium, magic had been natural. It hadn’t come and gone as it so often did in this life. She needed the Mars Crystal, but the secret of its location had been lost in the mists of time. 

 

No… The answer stirred in the back of her mind. She had handmaidens for that – to remember what she didn’t, to guard her when she was vulnerable. Phobos and Deimos would lead her to the gem. All she had to do was escape.

 

“I have to focus,” she ordered herself. “It’s only a dream, and all dreams must end!”

 

Rei closed her eyes and forced everything out, relying on the rigorous mental training she’d undergone since childhood. The nightmares faded, unable to survive in a landscape that did not dream because it was not asleep. She was too deeply immersed in her own consciousness to be subject to outside influence. Slowly, she pulled all of her energy into herself until she sensed a great glowing coil of fiery power in her heart. Contrary to her previous fears, it was still there. It just needed the right trigger.

 

_ Phobos! Deimos! _ She cried mentally.  _ Come to me! _

 

The world snapped back into focus, and she instantly took in the hovering forms of her companions and Jadeite, still battling the tiger. Her heart leapt into her throat when his was nearly shredded by the deadly beast. Determined, she turned to her servants. 

 

“The crystal! Tell me where it is!”

 

The two exchanged smiles. “We were wondering when you would ask,” they said. 

 

With a triumphant flourish, they proceeded to offer her the sacred gem. Its ruby depths burned, the crimson heart flashing with incredible heat. She clutched it to her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered before thrusting it skyward. “MARS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!” The stone melded with her old transformation wand as she spun, dancing through flames. Her power broke its restraints, pouring through her fingers. 

 

“This is yours too,” Deimos said, handing her mistress a deep red arrow. 

 

“Use it well,” Phobos added. 

 

She remembered the feel of it. A shot with that arrow never missed its intended target. Mars nodded as she created a bow, stretching a line of flame across her soul and pulling it taut.

 

“Jadeite!” she shouted as the blond general managed to slip free and back off. “Get out of the way! MARS FLAME SNIPER!”

 

The arrow moved so quickly that its path couldn’t be traced by the human eye. The tiger erupted in holy flames, leaving only a dead shell. The girl in red let out an angry squeal, but before she could lift the orb in her hands Mars’ arrow was pointed directly at her forehead. 

 

“Go if you want to live,” the Senshi ordered. “I won’t offer twice.”

 

She turned to bolt, but Jadeite caught her by the scruff of the neck. “Are you sure?”

 

“Enemy or no, I won’t kill her like this. Sailor Moon will make the decision when the time comes. However,” she added, voice sharp and unyielding, “if you try to feed someone to a tiger again I won’t be feeling so quite so merciful.”

 

She squirmed in Jadeite’s grip. “Let me go!”

 

Mars nodded, so he released her. “Are you okay?” she asked finally. “Did it hurt you?”

 

“What, worried about me?” he asked with a chuckle. “I thought you didn’t care.”

 

“Just answer the question.”

 

Jadeite made to laugh it off again, but he noticed how blank her face was and softened. “I’m fine. You got it in time.”

 

She nodded. “Good. Jadeite… Thank you for coming. I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”

 

She looked fragile, and he hated it. It wasn’t that he disliked her vulnerable side, but he couldn’t stand knowing something had stripped her down to that point. He detested the thought of anything hurting her. Per their normal behavior, he reacted with humor instead of seriousness. “You should know better. After all, I’m always right.”

 

She just nodded a second time. “You were right about him.”

 

He hesitated. After the joke, she should have swatted him and gone back to normal. The break from routine was nearly painful. “You managed, so I guess it’s not too big of a deal. What about you? Are you hurt?”

 

“No.”

 

“You need to change back, sweetheart. Someone will be coming to find out why the wall is broken. Can you do that?”

 

Her eyes were so big and luminous when she turned his way that he doubted she saw him at all. “Change back? All right…”

 

The magic came apart, leaving her shaking and pale on the dirty floor. He broke his own transformation and knelt, sweeping her into his arms. His torn side protested the extra weight, slight as it was, but he wasn’t a master illusionist for nothing and she was more important. 

 

Thankfully, they disappeared into the crowd before anyone found the tiger. Once outside the circus, Phobos and Deimos flew back to the shrine. He followed, murmuring soothing words as Rei shifted restlessly. Ami joined them at the top of the steps, checking her sister for injuries before Makoto carried her inside and she went to examine him. 

 

“I’m fine,” he said mildly, amused by her motherly fussing.

 

“You’re bleeding. The computer picked it up,” she explained when he grimaced, unused to his deceptions being discovered. “You didn’t want Rei-chan to know?”

 

Jomei shrugged. “You should see the other guy. Cat. Whatever. She was the one they were after; why should I complain over a few scratches?”

 

“Let me take a look at them,” she pressed. 

 

With a sigh, he submitted to leading her back to his room and pulling off his shirt, baring the long angry lines marring his right side and curving high on his chest. Smaller scratches marked his shoulder and Adam’s apple. The tiger  _ had _ gotten a shot in before its fiery demise. 

 

Transformed, she traced the larger marks with a cool gloved hand. “If any of these had gone deeper, you might have been in serious trouble.”

 

“Good thing I have amazing luck.”

 

Mercury frowned. “If you had amazing luck, you wouldn’t have been mauled by a magical tiger at the circus while it tried to kill your girlfriend.”

 

“Nuance.”

 

She shook her head before summoning her healing magic and closing the wounds, leaving red scabs in their place. “I’m sorry about the marks; I’m not good enough to take it all the way yet,” she said apologetically. “Zane-san can finish it for you later.”

 

“Don’t worry about it; they’ll heal. I don’t mind a few scars. They’re dashing.”

 

Minako knocked on the doorframe before sticking her head in. “Rei-chan is looking for you, Jomei-kun.”

 

“I’ll be right there.” He grabbed a clean black T-shirt with a random American band logo splashed on the front and pulled it on, shaking his hair back into order. “How’s she feeling?”

 

“All of her pent-up visions hit at once, so it was too jumbled to be very useful. Aside from a rather spectacular headache, she’ll be fine.”

 

The girls disappeared to keep Yuuichiro away as he slid into Rei’s room, moving quietly to avoid waking her if she was asleep. Instead, she turned her head his direction. “Hey.”

 

“Hey,” he replied with a smile. “How’s the head?”

 

“I think an elephant stepped on it. Evil circuses have elephants, right?”

 

“Probably.” He slid to the side a little to block the light coming through the door when she winced. “Neph felt the same way when he saw the stars for the first time after a blizzard kept us inside for three weeks. Give it a few hours and you’ll be okay.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“Of course,” he said boastfully, “for I am the lord master of all things! I am always right no matter what the topic!”

 

Rei snorted. “Lord master of all things? Of complete lunacy, maybe.”

 

“You wound me,” he said melodramatically, one hand to his heart. “A fatal blow!”

 

She shook her head, fighting a laugh. “You’re such a goof.”

 

“Not all of us can be serious every waking moment,” he replied as he sat on the edge of her bed. “I wouldn’t even want to. Humor’s all we have sometimes.”

 

“I guess.”

 

A gentle silence filled the room as she turned into his side, her head on his lap. He let it hold for several minutes before he spoke. “I love you.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I know?” he repeated with a soft laugh. “Is that the best you can do?”

 

Rei bit her lip. “You know I have a difficult time with men.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Your father messed you up big time.” He sighed and smoothed her hair. “It doesn’t really matter; I’ll be here no matter what. I won’t leave like he did.”

 

“You say that now, but the future tends to conspire against us.”

 

“So we’ll change the future,” he countered. “I won’t give up just because it didn’t work out for us the first time. You’re the most important person in my world, Rei, even over Mamoru and the others. You’re the one I’ll never let go of.”

 

After another lengthy pause, she let out the breath she’d been holding. “We can… try.” Jomei grinned, so she hurriedly continued. “There are conditions, though.”

 

He frowned, not liking the sound of that. “I’m listening.”

 

“You can’t hide things from me anymore. Don’t use your illusions or lie. Tell me when you’re hurt so I can help you. Let me know when you’re upset so we can deal with it.”

 

His face relaxed, his normal good-natured grin reasserting itself. “Here I thought you were going to make this difficult. If that’s all you want, fine. We can do that.”

 

“I love you too,” she whispered.

 

He’d had enough seriousness for one conversation, so Jomei decided to spice things up a bit. “Hm? What was that?”

 

Rei caught the playful note in his voice and sat up, glaring. “You heard me.”

 

“Not a word,” he said regretfully, hanging his head. “Want to repeat it?”

 

“YOU IRRESPONSIBLE, IRREPRESSIBLE JERK! DON’T PRETEND YOU DON’T KNOW, BECAUSE I WON’T BE SAYING IT EVER AGAIN! IDIOT!”

 

The girls paused outside her door when the shouting started and shook their heads.

 

“Well, those two are back to normal,” Minako observed unnecessarily.


	3. Part 2

_ And in entertainment news, here’s a shocker – Saijyo Ace, an idol who was very popular a few years ago as the masked hero Kaitou Ace, has reappeared as mysteriously as he vanished.  _

 

Kunzite glanced up from the paperwork on his desk, the name ringing a faint bell. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

 

_ In his return interview, Ace said he wanted nothing more than to work with co-star Aino Minako, who disappeared from the public eye around the same time. If he’s back who knows if Hurricane Mina is far behind? There’s speculation she’ll show up at his party tonight. _

 

There was no doubting that his Mina was the one referred to. She’d quit her idol work after the Dark Agency and her encounter with Adonis’s reincarnation. He tried to remember the man’s name, but unlike the others his memories of the Dark Kingdom were often vague and indistinct. Mercury’s theory was that it had resulted from his being purified by the Silver Crystal directly and that it had tried to soften the past’s impact, though it did little good. 

 

“Ace,” he murmured, tapping his pen against the heavy oak. It was bothering him enough to make him fidget, and that almost never happened. “Who are you?”

 

“Who’s who?” Mina asked as she stepped into his home office, toweling her hair dry.

 

Her parents were out of the country, leaving Mina to fend for herself. They’d told her to stay with a friend, not asking who it would be or how to reach her. They hadn’t even left money. Kunzite had asked her to stay with him while they were gone, not wanting her parents’ absence to end in her being attacked at home. She had a room already prepared in his house anyway. 

 

“There seems to be some actor looking to work with you again. I assume he meant you, at least, unless there is another Aino Minako?”

 

“Not that I know of. What was his name?”

 

“The reporter called him Saijyo Ace.” The towel fell out of her suddenly frozen hands with a thump, and he turned to look at her. “Are you all right?”

 

“I’m fine. Ace? Wow, I haven’t seen him in years. I never thought he’d show up again.”

 

“How do you know him?”

 

“We worked together a few times. He had his own show; Kaitou Ace was very popular. We were cast as the leads in a movie before it was cancelled.”

 

Kunzite nodded, a frown creasing his normally calm face. “Did you have any problems?”

 

She shot him a grin. “Should we have? It’s been ages, and to think he wants to see me!”

 

The general blinked twice before nodding again. “Please let me know if you are going to meet him. We would not want any innocents caught in an attack.”

 

“Sure, sure. I should hurry up though; I still need to finish getting ready for school,” she rambled, knowing he’d already forgotten Ace. If he had kept an eye on her even a second longer, Mina knew she would’ve folded and told him everything. Ace’s return was terrifying; she had barely recovered from his treachery the first time. Still, if he was back… How? She’d killed him herself, denying love for duty as he predicted she would. Back in her room, she slumped against the door and put her head in her hands. “How are you alive?” she whispered. 

 

She had to think like a leader. Logically, she had no business approaching Ace. He was trouble. At the same time, how could she ignore his blatant invitation? He knew her identity if he remembered the past, so staying away could cause more harm than meeting on her terms. It would also help to find another ally, unlikely though it was. After a moment, she sighed and reached for the phone, tapping in a number she’d sworn to never call again. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Saitou-san, it’s Minako. Are you still getting requests for me?”

 

Her old manager’s tone perked up. “You mean you’re going to come out of retirement and get back in the spotlight where you belong?”

 

“Maybe,” she said cautiously. “If you can manage one thing.”

 

“Name it, darling.”

 

“Get me into Ace’s party tonight and I’ll do a concert. If it goes well, I may do more.”

 

“Well, you’re in luck there – his manager already contacted me looking for you. Will you be able to make an appearance so soon?”

 

Mina scoffed, affecting the supermodel persona she’d long since discarded. “Saitou-san, please. This is me you’re talking to. When have I ever missed a chance to have fun?”

 

The older man laughed. “Yes, yes. Well, I’ll see you tonight, my little star. Make sure you draw some attention, hm?”

 

Once she disconnected, she let out a moan. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

 

88888888

 

Kunzite glanced up from his papers, surprised. “You mean to what?”

 

“My manager called and begged me to go to Ace’s reception tonight. It means so much to the poor man that I get involved again, since Ace and I had quite a thing a few years ago. He can’t find anyone good enough to replace me.”

 

“I see.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure returning to your career is a good idea at this point, Mina? We have no idea when the enemy will target you.”

 

“They haven’t attacked a crowded area yet, and the party is going to be huge. Besides, I always dreamed of being an idol. There’s never going to be a good time to go back, so I have to take the chance while I can. I already called my school; I need to go shopping for something to wear if I’m going to make a grand entrance.”

 

The general nodded as she breezed out, wondering what was going on in her head. 

 

88888888

 

To say Mina’s appearance was an event was a massive understatement. She might as well have arrived in the middle of a parade. She knew part of it was her eye-catching dress, but no one could deny her charm. It made sense; in two years she’d grown up and her very nature as an incarnation of the goddess of love and beauty was enough to make anyone take a second look. 

 

It had taken quite a few shops to find the style she was looking for, but in a little hole in the wall boutique she’d located the perfect outfit. It had a fitted sequined bodice that became a frothy mass of lace falling to her knee. Instead of her signature orange or gold, it was a cerulean blue that set off her eyes and made it look like she was glowing. Her hair had been styled into curls that poured messily down her back, a few clinging artfully to the sides of her face. 

 

Ace was there in moments. “Minako-chan, you look amazing. Has it really been only two years? It seems like forever.”

 

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she responded with a winning smile. “What brings you back to town, Ace-kun? Need to rescue another damsel?”

 

“For shame – you know you’re the only girl I would dream of saving.”

 

Inside, Mina was screaming. He hadn’t said a word about his real motivations, and the uncertainty was horrible. She wanted to make sure she and her allies were safe and get out before any supernatural disasters struck. 

 

“Well, you haven’t done a very good job of it. It’s been so long!”

 

He shook his head, a woeful expression on his handsome face. “You wound me, Minako-chan. I was only ever a call away. Haven’t you missed me at all?”

 

“Well, there are always new boys. I’ve been busy searching for the right one.”

 

“And did any of them ever measure up?”

 

Her smile would have lit the room, though if someone looked closely they would see how sharp its edges were. “Oh, I think so. Actually, he broke the measure. He was too much for it. Always has been, always will be.”

 

There was a flash of anger and jealousy in Ace’s eyes, gone as soon as it appeared. She’d seen it, though. He remembered Kunzite, and by extension he knew enough to pose a threat. No matter which side he was on, he  _ had _ to be kept away. The eldest Shitennou loathed Adonis for betraying them over a woman who had never wanted him. Though he felt equally guilty, Kunzite nonetheless blamed the Venusian man for the subsequent tragedy, for Venus dying on his sword as he did on hers. Treason he might have forgiven, but her death was too much to let go. 

 

“Maybe we should talk privately,” he suggested in a low voice. 

 

His agent opened her mouth to object, but he just smiled at her so beatifically she blinked and didn’t say a word. Mina recognized the surge of power and knew that not only did he still possess his memories, but he also carried Venusian magic. She nodded and kept her expression pleasant until he was shutting the door of an empty study. As soon as he had, she pinned him to the wall, arm pressed to his throat. She knew how to disable a larger opponent and could easily call for help if anything happened.

 

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Why were you looking for me? You should be dead. You can’t have thought I’d want to see you after what you did to me.”

 

“Venus, we can finally be together. Why are you letting him control you?”

 

She released him as her fear morphed into sadness. “You’ll never get it, will you? There is no ‘we’. The only feelings I have for you are anger and sadness. You ruined my life, Ace. I’ll never forgive you for what you did, and nothing in this world or any other would convince me to leave Kunzite now that we’ve finally found each other again.”

 

“Venus…”

 

“No. He doesn’t know you’re here, and I want to keep it that way. If he found out, he’d kill you and I won’t let him do that to himself. Do you have any idea how guilty he feels? What you did tore him apart. He’ll never really move on, but he’s  _ just _ ready to think he deserves happiness. Seeing you would undo it all. For Aphrodite’s sake,  _ leave us alone _ .”

 

“I don’t want anything to do with him,” Ace contested. “I’m here for you.”

 

“I don’t care. Just stay away. Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, and don’t come near me. If you’re offered a gig I’m working, tell your agent you can’t. If you see me on the street, go the other direction. Keep your distance if you want to survive.”

 

“This is absurd, Venus,” he argued. “We should be together. He’s just using you. He’s a Terran; he’ll never be good enough for someone like you.”

 

“You’re from Earth now too, and you sound stupid bringing up centuries-old prejudices.” Looking away, she straightened her dress and hair. “I’ll stay for the rest of the party to keep up appearances, but that’s all. It’s best if you don’t see me after this or I’ll kill you myself.”

 

88888888

 

Minako studied the dressing room mirror, trying to relax. She’d promised to do a concert, but she hadn’t expected her manager to push it through so quickly. If he had his way she’d already be on tour and taking roles in dramas. Ace’s show put in requests, but she’d told Saitou in no uncertain terms that she refused. When he asked why, she just claimed they’d argued at his gala and he would have to crawl before she even considered talking to him again. 

 

Strains of ‘C’est La Vie’ reached her from the stage, where the band was warming up. Nerves jangling, she glanced at Artemis, who was on a table beneath the window. “Why isn’t he here yet? He promised he’d come.”

 

The white cat shrugged disdainfully. Though his antagonism toward the Shitennou had more or less faded with all the help they provided, he still didn’t care much for their leader. He was more her father than her real one was, and as such he automatically disapproved of any man who had an interest in his little girl. “I don’t know, but you’re going on in a few minutes.”

 

“Kunzite’s never been late for  _ anything _ . This isn’t like him.”

 

“Do you think something happened?” Artemis asked, knowing she was too distressed for it to be the tension she always felt before performing. 

 

“Maybe? It really isn’t like him, but the thought of anything being strong enough to keep him from being here…”

 

There was a knock on the door a few seconds before Jomei stuck his head in and smiled. “You look amazing, Mina-chan.”

 

“Thanks,” she murmured, blushing, automatically smoothing her short denim skirt and lacy orange blouse. She’d left her hair in its signature style. 

 

“Where’s old stick-in-the-mud? I thought he’d be with you,” he asked, frowning.

 

Mina’s face fell. “You haven’t seen him either?”

 

Jomei shook his head, now just as worried as she was. “We thought he was in here.” With a smile, he pushed it aside. “I’ll get a hold of him in a second. These are for you, by the way.”

 

She accepted the bouquet of bright yellow roses with a grin. “They’re beautiful. Are they from you and the others?”

 

“No, Usa-chan sent them over. She was going to come, but Mamoru took a bad turn.” He frowned. “He shouldn’t have conjured those, but he insisted. Said a friend shouldn’t go onstage without getting flowers, and he knew my illustrious leader would never think of it.” It was true; the eldest general had never been one for gifts and trinkets. After a moment’s pause, Jomei sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll see if I can find him, but you should make sure you’re ready. The show’s due to start soon, right?”

 

Mina blinked and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for delivering these. I’ll see you after?”

 

“Of course, love. Break a leg.”

 

Love. Kunzite had nearly lost his much-vaunted cool the first time his subordinate called her that. He hadn’t meant anything by it; it was what she was just like Makoto was Shocker and Rei was firebrand. Still, Kunzite forbade him to use it. The only effect it had was keeping Jomei from uttering it in his leader’s presence. It was harmless anyway; he was a great friend to the girls, but he’d never be more than that for anyone but Rei. 

 

“You look distracted, beautiful,” a new voice said. 

 

Minako jolted. No one had permission to be in the room, and when she looked at Artemis he was just as bewildered, fur on end. Recognition came, and she nearly screamed. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Ace, but it was clearly him speaking to her through the mirror – an old Venusian ability she’d never used and had almost forgotten. 

 

“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded angrily, facing the image of him. “Get out of here, or I will make you.”

 

She could, and they both knew it. She was stronger than him, even while her Senshi powers were mysteriously unresponsive. Mirror-magic was a gift of her people, not her role as guardian, and she was aware enough to use it if she had to. 

 

“You don’t want to do that,” the young man said quietly. “Not if you want to see your precious betrothed again.”

 

His words nearly made her heart stop. He hadn’t come because Ace had done something to him. She hadn’t even felt it. “If you hurt him, I will kill you,” she warned in an icy tone. 

 

“I only employed a lingering gift from Queen Beryl. Unlike others, he can’t sense it when I come at him. All I had to do was break in and he was so easy to catch.”

 

That little piece of information actually explained a question that had been bothering her since the Shitennou’s disappearance before the end of the Silver Millennium. Kunzite’s ability to sense ill intent and avoid traps was all but legend, yet somehow Adonis had led him and the other generals straight into an ambush. That Beryl had given him such a gift, that it endured long after her death, sent chills up her spine.

 

“Again, did you hurt him _? _ ”

 

“Only a bump on the head. It’ll get worse if you don’t come meet me.”

 

“I can’t just leave,” she answered sharply. “I won’t expose my secret to the world.”

 

“You will if you want to see him alive. He only has an hour, princess. If you don’t come, I’ll kill him before he even wakes up.”

 

“Prove you have him,” Mina demanded, eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”

 

His response was to step to the side, revealing a sort of magical dome covering a too-familiar unmoving body. She inhaled sharply and tried to figure out where they were. It was a rooftop somewhere, but there were so many it was hard to say which it was. 

 

Adonis spared her the need to ask. “You have an hour to reach Starlight Tower. I’ll execute him whether you come or not, so you should hurry if you need to say any last words.”

 

He broke the connection before she could respond, but she didn’t know if she would have been able to. Finally, after several terse moments, she lifted her head. Her blue eyes blazed. “Artemis, do you have my compact and pen?”

 

He nodded, startled. “They’re in my subspace pocket. The compact should be charged, but you can’t be planning what I think you are.”

 

“Give them to me,” she ordered, tone brooking no argument. “Even if they work, I won’t be able to transform until I’m well away, so everyone will know something’s up. This will be a spectacle, me running out right before I’m supposed to go on. Tell Jomei-kun and Mako-chan what happened and where I’m heading, but give me a ten minute head start. If I go in with everyone, Danburite will kill him before I even have a chance.”

 

“Mina, it’s dangerous. There’s no guarantee the compact can still make you V.”

 

“I know, but I refuse to leave Kunzite with the person who destroyed him. I warned Ace to stay away; now he’ll pay the price if it takes sacrificing myself to do it.”

 

“He’d never forgive you.” The words were terribly true. Her soulmate needed her like he needed to breathe, and if she died for him the only reason he’d survive would be to serve his prince. His heart would be gone forever. 

 

“I’d rather he was alive to feel that way than lose him again.”

 

She sprinted out the door, ignoring complaints as she threw herself into the crowd. A few recognized her and wanted an autograph or a picture or any number of things (one disturbing request was for her blood and tears), but she kept going. When fans saw how desperately she was pushing for the exit, they parted, and she all but flew into the humid night. Anxious, she had to orient herself before she took to her heels again and ran for Starlight Tower.

 

The building was silent when she reached it, foyer empty. It was painfully reminiscent of her last visit. Starlight Tower would always be a place of horror for her, and likely for the others as well. Her true love had tried to kill her there, after all.

 

She paused and frowned as something occurred to her. Ace must have known the spot held some significance or he wouldn’t have chosen it. He probably also knew she couldn’t transform. Ice ran through her veins, and she forced herself not to shiver. If he’d joined their enemy, she’d deal with it. All she had to do was ignore the piece of her that remembered loving him. She fingered the compact in her pocket, hoping it would still be able to do what she needed. 

 

Mina was wondering if she’d ever reach the roof or if he was slowing the elevator to make sure she’d miss his deadline. Her younger self would have said he’d never do something like that, but it was painfully obvious he wasn’t the man she’d fallen for. Then again, he never really was. Finally the doors opened with a soft  _ ding _ and she stepped onto the roof. She saw her boyfriend immediately, still unconscious in his prison. His captor she didn’t see, but she found out where he was when an arm snaked around her waist and a hand pressed against her throat. 

 

“How nice to see you again, Venus.”

 

“You’re not calling me beautiful now?” she asked dryly. “You know, somehow it took you doing that for me to realize how shallow you really are, Danburite.”

 

The young man let go of her with a curse. “Don’t call me that.  _ Never _ call me that.”

 

“What? Danburite is who you are. Your actions prove it,” she challenged. 

 

“I said no,” he snarled. “I’ll kill him if you don’t stop.”

 

Minako tossed her head, the image of beautiful defiance. “You know if you do I’ll be gone in seconds. You wanted me here badly enough; you wouldn’t shorten the game.”

 

“Hurry up,” a newcomer injected, sounding bored. “Kill the man already. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

 

It was distinctly childish, that voice, and as Mina turned she knew why. The speaker was a girl, at least a few years younger than her. Her pink hair was held up in complex loops, and she was wearing a yellow circus costume. She had a ball of the same color in her hands. 

 

Mina’s gaze darted between the two as yet another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “You filthy traitor. You sick bastard. You disgusting little _worm_! You sold us out?! Again?!”

 

“Venus –” he began, but she cut him off. 

 

“No! I might’ve forgiven you someday if this was just some desperate plea for attention, but you told them about us! You told them who we were – you told them we’re vulnerable!”

 

“I only meant –”

 

“To hurt him again,” she finished, heartsick. “What did he ever do to you? He  _ trusted _ you. Until that trap closed around him, you were just as important as any of the soldiers he’d worked with before. Do you think he’ll let you live? You led him and the men he loved like brothers to a fate worse than death and destroyed us all. He’ll kill you.”

 

“You’re too chatty,” the girl said conversationally as she sauntered over to the makeshift prison. “How did you end up the leader? You really don’t seem that strong.”

 

“You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

 

“You’re willing to risk your life to come after a man. Shouldn’t your priority be your team? Adonis, darling, do me a favor and get rid of him so we can get on with things.”

 

“You mean so you can kill me.” Minako smirked as the young man paled. “You didn’t tell him that’s what you wanted? The others got their powers back and slipped through your net, so you thought involving someone from my past would make me weak enough to get rid of me.”

 

“That was the plan, yes.” Her tone was as mild as if she’d just ordered a cup of tea. 

 

“Cere,” Danburite gasped. “You can’t be serious. Your queen promised that I could keep her if I helped you.”

 

“We lied.” CereCere laid a hand on the cage. “It’s amazing how many times you’ll fall for that line. You might be able to convince us to change our minds, though. You’d start by killing him before he wakes up.”

 

“What could he do?” he asked, puzzled. “He can’t use magic in there, and no man is strong enough to break through without it.”

 

Mina’s hand slid into her pocket while they were distracted, going for the pen that would hopefully transform her into Sailor V. While that form left a lot to be desired, it had been enough to stop Danburite before. Her fingers were just closing around it when CereCere turned on her.

 

“I don’t suggest doing that, dear. If you try, he’ll be dead before you can lift it.”

 

Danburite looked at her, expression icy. “Love or duty, V. You chose duty before; can you do it again?”

 

No, she knew as she stared at her enemies. She wasn’t sure anything could make her let go of him after what they’d been through. She took the pen and compact and dropped them.

 

88888888

 

_ Her power had destroyed the youma easily enough, but to save the brainwashed people she’d needed to use more. The force of it blew the building apart, leaving them on a precarious platform high above the Chinese city. Ace – the youma called him Danburite, why? – stood near the edge. He’d declared he would be the one to defeat Sailor V, but he wasn’t moving. He just stood there staring at her. _

 

_ Memories broke over her: of her princess, her sister Senshi. Ace claimed he loved her, but they were everything. She’d chosen them again and again. V came undone, leaving her true self behind. Sailor Venus removed the red domino mask she’d worn for so long.  _

 

_ “Are you all right, Princess Venus?” Mist rolled around them as he spoke. “This place often gets foggy around this time.” _

 

_ The fog triggered more. She saw her world, clouds of sulfur hiding the surface, Magellan Castle hovering over the land of Aphrodite. She’d never been there for long, summoned to her princess’ side, her tasks on the moon, but she loved it with all her heart.  _

 

_ “I am not a princess,” she said finally, letting the mask fall through her fingers. “I am… the guardian Senshi of the planet Venus, Sailor Venus, the leader of the Moon Princess’s protectors. I was born a soldier to guard that single precious person!” _

 

_ “The land you loved, the people you loved… They’re no more. They were destroyed by the enemy.” They were just lines from the movie they’d come to China to film, but they meant so much more as they stood above an abyss with all of a past life’s memories between them. _

 

_ He hugged her, and Sailor Venus wasn’t sure how to react. She knew her place, but she  _ did _ love him, as much as she was capable of doing so. “Stop it!” she cried, pushing him back. “Ace, who are you? How do you know so much about me?!” _

 

_ He removed his mask as she had, and a glowing sigil pulsed behind his bangs –  _ her _ symbol. “That’s because I’m Adonis. I am your destined lover. I was borrowed, with some of the other men, by soldiers under the direct supervision of the prince.” _

 

_ Endymion’s Shitennou… Kunzite. Her soulmate, the man she’d pledged eternity to.  _

 

_ “At that moment, I knew if I could change just one thread of fate, you and I might fall in love. I was born into this world, and raised to the status where I can confront you! There is only ONE destiny!” He held a card aloft, and a surge of energy threw her back.  _

 

_ She leapt up. She could scarcely understand that he’d attacked her, that he was part of the Dark Agency. “I believe you, but haven’t you always,  _ always _ , come to save me, Ace?!” _

 

_ “I will soon achieve domination of the whole planet! I am a soldier under the Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom, Danburite! And you, Sailor Venus, are my enemy!” _

 

_ He moved to strike again, but her magic flared naturally and hurled him over the edge. She grabbed his arm, trying to keep him from falling to the ground so far below.  _

 

_ His smile was tender as he offered her the card in his hand – the ace of hearts. “I’ll tell your final love fortune. Your love will be hopeless for all eternity.” She froze, and he smirked. “What’s wrong? You should be happy! Now you can go on without having to torment yourself over the ultimate choice… love or duty. Your fate is to keep fighting.” _

 

_ He was fading as she cried, struggling to pull him to safety, but he did nothing to help. It was her fault; she’d killed him with the careless use of her powers. She was responsible for the death of someone she loved.  _

 

_ “Your true battle begins now.” _

 

88888888

 

“You said I should be happy when you cursed me,” Minako said, her voice low. “You must have known fighting you would awaken my true self. You wanted me to live with the knowledge of our past. I killed you, Danburite. You should be gone.”

 

“I was revived. They were, so why is it so odd?”

 

“They came back as our friends and allies. Why would you betray us again?!”

 

Just thinking it was like reliving his treachery and all the death he’d caused. Mina wanted to be sick. The pen was out of reach, and she doubted it would’ve worked anyway. Keiji was unconscious, and there were two enemies. Even in the best case scenario things didn’t look good. 

 

Her musings were quickly interrupted when CereCere appeared right in front of her, a contemplative look on her little face. “This is taking too long. Die.”

 

The younger girl had a strength she didn’t, and in moments Minako was dangling over the edge of the tower, struggling against the circus performer’s grip. The flower master let go, and the blonde’s quick reflexes barely let her catch the ledge in time. She knew a fall wouldn’t kill a Senshi, but she wasn’t transformed and it was a  _ long _ way down. 

 

“Mina, hold on!” 

 

Two white paws settled on her hands. “Artemis!” She was trying; they both were, but her fingers were slipping. Mina struggled, fighting gravity’s inexorable pull. “Help!”

 

“They’re coming,” he said urgently. “You just have to hold on!”

 

“I can’t! Artemis, do something!”

 

The tomcat turned and hissed, seeing the two villains approaching Keiji, who was just beginning to stir. “Mina, they’re going to kill him!”

 

Minako kicked wildly, trying to find purchase in the skyscraper’s smooth sides, but her heeled sandals only slid free. “Kunzite! KUNZITE!”

 

The stiletto caught for a moment and she started to lever herself up, but it slipped again and she dropped even lower. Her grip failed, but before she could fall a strong hand grabbed both of hers, a new yet familiar face watching in concern as he got her to safety. 

 

“Do you  _ want _ to be Venus?” he asked quietly. “Are you prepared to be a soldier for the rest of your immortal life?”

 

“Artemis…” She stood, head held high. “I made my choice as V, and it’s the one I’ll make every time. I want to fight. I want to protect the people I love.”

 

He nodded, unsurprised. “You’ll need this.” The Venus Crystal glinted in his hand. “I should’ve given it to you before, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

 

The heart-shaped stone pulsed as she took it, and for a second she saw Magellan Castle in its depths. If she used the crystal, took up the full extent of her planetary powers, any chance of normalcy would be lost forever. 

 

She didn’t hesitate; she’d rather be extraordinary anyway. “VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!” The crystal all but exploded in a wave of orange light, wrapping her in stars as she became Sailor Venus again. The uniform, like her sisters’, was slightly altered. She came to a stop on the delicate heels, a golden heart in her gloved hands. 

 

Before she could do anything to free her boyfriend and stop the enemies, Ace was there, one hand at her throat as the other caressed her cheek. “There you are, my beauty. I was only waiting for you to come back to yourself.”

 

“Let go of me, Danburite. I won’t hesitate to destroy you.”

 

“Haven’t you already?” he asked quietly, brushing a loose strand of her long blonde hair back. “You could have killed me before I lifted a hand, but still you stand unmoving. Maybe you don’t hate me as much as you say.”

 

“I’m warning you, back off.”

 

His grip transferred abruptly to her arms, pulling her close and leaning in for a kiss. She struggled, but he was right; she didn’t want to hurt him despite how easy it would be. 

 

_ Kunzite,  _ she whispered.  _ Please. _

 

88888888

 

He felt like his head had been slammed into a wall repeatedly, and his soul was half out of his body. Venus spoke, sad and frightened, and he sat up. It wasn’t much, certainly not enough to tell him what was wrong, but her fear was what mattered. His spirit, only partially attached, turned her way. What he saw sent Kunzite from worried to absolutely enraged in a heartbeat. He came together far faster than he’d ever dared, mind and body sliding into place with unbelievable force. His body began to react, but his mind went eerily blank. All he saw was red as he smashed into the walls of a prison, keeping him away from his precious girl as she was molested by an enemy long thought dead. 

 

With a roar, he shattered the cage as though it had been made of twigs and leapt almost straight up, a feat that should have impossible in human form. He came down, cape unfurling behind him as he dropped on the traitor like an avenging angel, barely cognizant enough to push Venus out of the way. 

 

88888888

 

Venus rolled back to her feet, shocked. Without magic, Kunzite had literally  _ torn apart _ a cage that would have contained even a Senshi, and he was clawing at Adonis like a wild thing. She hated to do it, but she left the men to their fight and rounded on CereCere. She kissed her fingers and the golden heart multiplied, flying in a ring before shooting forward. The circus girl barely deflected them, and the force of it blew her back several meters. Venus thought about returning the favor and pushing her off the roof, but she didn’t have it in her to be that vindictive. She stepped away and watched as CereCere took one panicked look at Adonis and vanished. 

 

The younger man didn’t move, and Venus doubted he was breathing. She reached out with powers long untouched, and sure enough he was gone. She forced herself to take the necessary step, abhorrent as it seemed. Venus dredged up an ability she’d never used before, one in keeping with her role as the Shadow Warrior of the Guardian Senshi – the power to end a soul, keeping it from ever returning to the Galaxy Cauldron and reincarnating. Before she could reconsider, he was gone. Kunzite, oblivious, continued to attack his body. It was in bad shape, broken and bleeding. Had she not known better, she would have thought he’d been set upon by a wild animal and not a man. 

 

Jadeite and Jupiter leapt into view from a nearby rooftop, and the younger general’s gaze went immediately to his commander, still tearing into an enemy who would never fight again. He took a half step forward before stopping, shocked and a little afraid. Venus went to approach him, but the blond caught her shoulder and pulled her back. 

 

“Don’t. No one has ever gotten through to him without getting hurt when he’s like this, and he’d never forgive me if you suffered because of it.”

 

“Like this?” she repeated, rounding on him. “This –  it’s happened  _ before _ ?!”

 

“He never told you?” Jadeite asked, surprised. “I thought… We don’t discuss it. He  _ hates _ it when this happens, and he can’t stand hearing it mentioned. He’s dangerous, love.”

 

“I can see that.”

 

Before he could stop her, she wrenched her arm away and slowly approached Kunzite. His head swung up and he stared at her. When she reached out, he didn’t fight it, letting her stroke his hair and lead him away from Adonis. Jupiter raced in to check the body. A shake of her head confirmed what Venus had already known – he was dead. 

 

“Come back,” she whispered in his ear. 

 

With a shudder, the clouds in his eyes lifted. He remembered a cage, Venus wanting help… Then nothing. He reached for her hand and froze. His gloved fingers were coated in blood, and there was more on the cuffs of his uniform – when had he transformed? – with blotches at irregular intervals. Aside from an aching head, he was uninjured, and a quick look at Venus showed that she was too. Jadeite and Jupiter were there, but they were fine. One last image came to him: Adonis, the traitor who brought ruin to the greatest civilization their worlds had ever known, had been kissing his soulmate. 

 

His face drained of color as he turned. Blood pooled under the corpse, but except for that it might have been a broken marionette. He’d literally beaten a man to death so severely that he no longer appeared human. 

 

“It looks a lot worse than it really is,” Venus said quietly behind him. “He died quickly; you broke his neck in the first hit.”

 

“I –” It wasn’t like the leader of the Shitennou to be at a loss for words, but he truly had no idea what he could say in the face of such an atrocity. 

 

“You can’t blame yourself, Kunzite. He pushed you to it. I told him to stay away, but he wouldn’t listen. He was going to kill you to get to me.”

 

He stared at his victim, uncomprehending. Jupiter, trying to help, looked to her leader. “What do you want us to do, V-chan?”

 

“We need to destroy the body. Can you?”

 

The stormy Senshi nodded, crouching by the corpse. Lightning split the heavens, leaving ash scattered in the blood. “I can’t do anything for the mess.” As she grew more certain of her magic she’d be able to, but she only summoned storms when her emotions were tempest wild. 

 

“I will. Just give me a moment.” If she left proof of a bloody death there’d be questions none of them wanted to answer. As it was, Aino Minako would be facing the police; she couldn’t have evidence connecting Minako to Venus. “Venus Power, Love Crescent Shower! Pour down rain!” It started with a few scattered drops before turning steady, washing away ash and blood. Sirens wailed, the police no doubt having traced the Senshi’s bright attacks to Starlight Tower. 

 

Artemis ran over, once again in cat form. “I left a note in your dressing room saying Ace kidnapped your boyfriend and where to meet. No one will question your being here.”

 

Venus nodded before releasing her power, and she had to tug on Kunzite’s arm to get him to follow suit. Luckily, he was aware enough to alter his age so he didn’t seem obscenely old for her. A trace of blood at his hairline showed where he’d been hit. The two sat down together as she pointedly kept him from looking at where Ace had been. Jadeite glanced at Jupiter before taking a step back and vanishing from mortal view. The green-clad Senshi remained, hovering over the couple and making soft sounds like she was soothing the victims of a terrible attack. 

 

Paramedics were the first on-scene, though the officers weren’t far behind. One of the emergency crew approached Keiji, seeing the blood on his face. “Are you hurt, sir?”

 

“It is nothing,” he said distantly. “Just a bump, soon to heal.”

 

The man looked ready to argue, but Jupiter gestured for him to back off and he did. The detective in charge hurried over, one of his underlings holding an umbrella over his head to shield his notepad. “Sailor Jupiter, right?” When she nodded, he pressed on. “Can we get a statement? Until someone reported lights, we thought this was a civilian matter.”

 

“The kidnapper was an enemy,” she said shortly, “one who previously caused trouble for Aino-san. After the last time she was placed under our protection.”

 

He had more questions, but before he could ask them another man burst into view, an officer from the special division the Metropolitan Police had dedicated to Senshi matters. The superintendent was just behind him. Sakurada Natsuna took one look at Minako and ordered everyone but the officer who had accompanied her back inside. 

 

“Are you okay, Minako-chan?” she asked, squatting beside the pair without paying any mind to the rain soaking into her suit. “What happened here?”

 

“It was Ace,” Mina whispered. “He came back. I went to see him, to tell him to stay away. I didn’t know he’d done it again. He told them who we were, our weaknesses.”

 

Keiji stared at her, surprise clearly visible on his face. “Mina?”

 

“She knows. I worked with the police as V, shortly before joining the others.”

 

Natsuna got up. “Wakagi, get some blankets. They’re drenched and in shock. Will you be able to make it home, Minako-chan?”

 

Minako nodded as the officer draped a shock blanket over her. “Jupiter can help.” She turned pleading eyes on her. “Right?”

 

“Of course. Takeda-san, will you be okay with  _ his _ help?” She couldn’t draw attention to the generals, so she didn’t mind the policewoman thinking she meant their only known male ally. Never mind Tuxedo Kamen was in no condition to be there.

 

He dipped his head in response, accepting a blanket of his own, though Jupiter could see he didn’t want to be away from Mina. At least reverting to human form had made Ace’s blood disappear. The stormy Senshi swung Minako into her arms, gave Jadeite a quick nod, and leapt off the roof, heading in the direction of her friend’s house. 

 

“One of us will come get you soon,” she whispered. “It’s not a good idea for you to be alone right now, so you’ll be spending a week or so somewhere safe.”

 

“Where?”

 

Jupiter shrugged. “That’s for Usagi-chan to decide. Mars will have to do her interview now; everyone is going to suspect that you’re Venus.”

 

“I know,” she murmured, nibbling her lower lip as she considered. “We’ll have to figure out a convincing cover.”

 

“Mars can handle it,” the other teen told her, “so don’t worry. You know she’ll be able to throw them off the scent.”

 

Minako’s eyes widened in horror when she saw lights on in her house. “Jupiter, did the police call my parents?!”

 

“I don’t know; why?”

 

She pointed. “They weren’t due home for a few more days.”

 

The taller girl cursed. “I was just going to drop you at your window. Now we’ll have to make a whole big deal out of this.”

 

Jupiter set her down a few steps from the front door and the blonde struggled to fit the key in the lock with shaking fingers, trying to keep the blanket around her shoulders. On the third go she managed it and pushed the door open, stepping inside with her friend. 

 

“Minako!” her mother shouted, storming into the hall. “Why were you RUNNING OUT of an event over some BOY?! And a concert! You didn’t have our permission to work!”

 

“Mom,” she began, but the older woman cut her off before she could say anything.

 

“What exactly do you think is acceptable behavior when we’re out of town, young lady?! Taking off like a hooligan is not okay! You’re grounded; go to your room!”

 

Jupiter cleared her throat. “Aino-san, Minako-san was caught in a Senshi battle tonight and is upset. Can’t this wait?” She nudged Mina toward the stairs, telling her to go pack. Her mother followed, still shouting, and Jupiter had to frown apologetically and leave. Their leader needed to know what had happened.

 

Minako tried to ignore her mom’s tirade as she shoved clothes in her overnight bag, but it was about as easy as pretending she wasn’t completely freaked out by what had just happened. Hoping to get away, she ran back downstairs to get a drink. Her throat felt like it was lined in sandpaper as she battled the urge to scream. 

 

“Are you even listening to me, young lady?! You’re  _ grounded _ , and I hope you realize you have to break up with this boy of yours. There will be reporters all over the place once the news gets out that you had a hand in the death of a celebrity.”

 

“Ace was a  _ monster _ ,” Minako spat, losing control. “He deserved what he got.”

 

“HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR BETTERS?!”

 

“ _ Betters _ ?” she repeated, disgusted. “He was scum! He was going to kill an innocent man! He betrayed me! If the Senshi hadn’t come, I’d probably be dead right now!”

 

“Think of the shame you’ve brought this family! Can’t you do anything right?!”

 

The blonde whirled, nearly spilling her water. “I did do the right thing. I knew if I didn’t go Ace would kill someone I love. Did you honestly never know he attacked me when I was only thirteen?! He betrayed everything that’s important. If you can’t deal with that…”

 

“Is that a threat?” her mother demanded, looming over her.

 

“Maybe it should be,” Mars said. The Senshi of Fire stood in the entryway to the kitchen, hands on her hips and danger in her eyes. “You need to take a step back and cool off, Aino-san. Minako-san, are you okay?”

 

Minako nodded gratefully, grabbing her bag. “What’s going on?”

 

“Sailor Moon decided we’re moving you into protective custody until some of the fervor dies down. You were attacked by him twice; you deserve a chance to recover.”

 

“You have no business saying what my daughter will or won’t do!” 

 

“The Senshi have always had the final say where the victims of monster attacks are concerned, and we feel responsible for letting him get to her again. She needs time to rest and deal with what happened tonight, and she can’t do that while being harassed by the press.”

 

“You still can’t make decisions for her.”

 

“She can make them herself. Do you want to stay or go, Minako-san? We found a safe place for you to lie low.”

 

“What about her schoolwork?” her mother demanded. “Her grades are low enough without missing extra classes!”

 

“She won’t be gone more than a week. The term’s coming to an end and she already took her high school entrance exams. Sailor Mercury will help her prepare for the end of year tests.”

 

“I’ll go,” Minako said, not wanting to fight anymore. Her mom went to protest again, but this time she beat her to it. “I can’t stay here after what happened.”

 

Mars nodded, though she still glared daggers at the older woman. Taking Mina’s hand, she pulled her outside before shouldering her bag and picking her up. “Ready?”

 

The blonde nodded as her mother shot out the door. “Please.” With a casual bound, the soldier of passion landed on the roof of the house and kept moving, ignoring the shouts behind them. “Where are we going?” Minako asked when they were out of range.

 

“We’re going to meet Zoisite as soon as he’s done with Kunzite. He’ll take you there.”

 

“What’s he doing?”

 

“I think he said he had a drug that’ll help Kunzite stay in control until he’s calm again. He shouldn’t be too long.”

 

Mina nodded and relaxed against her friend’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Mars-chan. I couldn’t deal with her tonight.”

 

“I knew she’d give you trouble, so I volunteered to be the one to come get you. My father is the same way. I can’t even imagine what he’d do after something like this.”

 

They came to a stop on a decent-sized office building, high enough to avoid prying eyes. Mars set Minako down. Zoisite appeared a minute later, pale and harried. 

 

“Good, you are here already,” he said, sighing in relief. “Kunzite-sama wants you.”

 

“Is he okay?” she asked worriedly.

 

“His mind refuses to settle, but he is fine physically. You will be able to help more than I can. His emotions may be expressed more freely than usual due to the shock, but the injection I gave him will let him maintain control. He will not slip again tonight.” 

 

Mars gave Minako her bag, and Zoisite extended a hand. As soon as she took it, the world slipped out from under her feet and she found herself in the hall of Kunzite’s house. The younger Shitennou gave a shallow bow before disappearing again. She left her bag in her room before moving to Kunzite’s, knowing he was waiting and that he was scared she wouldn’t come. She almost didn’t, afraid to hear anything else that would upset her fragile state of mind. In the end, she had to. He needed her.

 

“Kunzite?” she whispered as she crept into his room. “Are you still awake?”

 

She’d hoped he was sleeping, but he sat up and looked straight at her. “You came.”

 

Mina all but ran across the remaining distance and curled into his arms. “Of course I did. I nearly lost you tonight; I was so scared.”

 

The general absently ran his fingers through her soft hair, taking a long time to respond. “I thought he might be taking you from me. I know you cared for him in the past.”

 

“I did,” she said honestly. “It was never the same as what I feel for you, though. He was… a flirtation, a brief romance doomed before it began. It was always you, Kunzite. You should know that by now.”

 

“Yes, but the worries are not easily laid to rest.”

 

The tension in his arms confirmed what he said, so Mina massaged them until he relaxed. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. He took advantage of a power Beryl gave him even after I warned him away. You were only defending yourself.”

 

“I was defending  _ you _ .” He never would have lost control for his own sake.

 

That was the worst part. His death was on her conscience twice over “I know. Honestly, though, no one blames you, and since we told the police he was an enemy they won’t realize he was also human. He was too far gone, and you had every right to hate him after what he did.”

 

“I tortured a man, Mina. I was not trying to interrogate him, nor was it approved by our rulers. I lost control and killed him out of jealousy.”

 

“You killed him for his betrayal. This was about so much more than jealousy. I hate saying it, but he deserved what happened, and he won’t be coming back to hurt us again.”

 

He knew what she meant without asking. “He loved you,” Kunzite said quietly. “He might have made you happy. He would not have displeased your father as I did.”

 

“I never wanted him.” He was about to reply, but she barreled on. “No, listen! I was free with my favors once I came of age, but I never went to him. Once you and I met, that was it.  _ You _ were it. Venusians receive a glimpse of their perfect match when they reach adulthood. I resented the idea at first, the thought of tying myself to one person for the rest of my life, but when I saw you I knew I was done with flitting from man to man. I trusted you enough, even then, without a word, to want forever.”

 

“Mina…” He paused, touched. “You never told me this before.”

 

“I don’t want to admit to my less than admirable past any more than you do.”

 

Shaking his head, the eldest Shitennou laughed. It was a little self-deprecating and tinged with despair, but it was a laugh nonetheless. “We make quite the pair, you and I. I love you, Mina. I do not tell you enough, but it will always be true because you are my forever as well.”

 

They talked after that, sorting through their guilt and grief, finally understanding how to let the past go.

 

88888888

 

Usagi sighed as she sat by her boyfriend’s bedside, contemplating the most recent disaster. Reaching out, she brushed her mind against Minako and Kunzite’s. Their love and peace poured through, calming her, but her anxiety returned quickly as she withdrew. 

 

“What can we do?” she asked. “About any of this?”

 

Despite his increasingly poor health, Mamoru managed to crack one eye open and smile at her. “You’ll figure it out, Usako. You always do.”

 

“You’re normally there to help me. I’m so lost, Mamo-chan. Minako-chan could be found out, and the Shitennou will be affected by this too. We’re running out of time.” She didn’t say  _ he _ was almost out of time, but they both knew it was what she meant. 

 

A gentle knock sounded. Assuming it was one of the Senshi or Shitennou, she opened the door without looking. What she saw there finally gave her hope.

 

“Haruka-san! Michiru-san!”

 

“Hey, Odango. We thought we’d find you here.”

 

“And Hotaru-chan and Setsuna-san too!” Hotaru was much older than she’d been when they left, almost the girl she’d been before Mistress 9 and Saturn, but she set that aside. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

 

“We heard,” Michiru said. “We just couldn’t help without our powers.”

 

“You lost yours too?” she demanded. “When? How? Were you attacked?”

 

Setsuna held up her hands. “This is not a conversation for the hallway, Usagi-chan.”

 

The blonde blushed before stepping back and letting them in. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so worried lately I don’t think before I do things. Mamo-chan is… He’s not well.”

 

Hotaru’s head came up. “Is he hurt?”

 

Usagi looked away. “No. He’s really sick, though. The enemy cursed the planet.”

 

“So that’s what caused the sudden heat wave,” Haruka mused. “I thought the winds were being strange lately.”

 

“What do you know about the enemy?” Michiru asked. 

 

The entire story poured out – how Mamoru had been acting oddly the day of the eclipse, how Chibiusa hadn’t been able to return to her time, how her Senshi found themselves unable to transform, how they’d gotten their powers back, how suspicion was spreading about Venus’ identity. Admitting to the whole affair actually let her breathe. 

 

Setsuna, rather than saying anything immediately, got up from where she’d sat on the couch and gave her princess a hug. “You will be all right.”

 

“Will he?” she pressed. The Time Guardian pursed her lips and looked away, and all the stress she’d just eased came back. “He might not. He could die.”

 

For a long beat, she didn’t speak, but finally the older woman sighed. “Yes. He  _ will _ die if he doesn’t get the Golden Crystal in time.”

 

Usagi frowned. “That’s it? I know where the crystal is; I can take him to it.”

 

“The guardian is compromised. Queen Nehellenia holds him.”

 

“That’s why he disappeared,” she realized. “Who’s Nehellenia? Why is she doing this? Where is she? How do we fight her? How did you get your powers back? How did you know to come? How did Hotaru-chan grow so much since you left?”

 

“They can’t answer all your questions if you don’t take breaths in between, Usako.” 

 

Mamoru stood at the doorway to his bedroom, leaning against the frame. Hotaru was under his other arm, her hand a dull purple where they were touching. No one had noticed her leaving. His face was tense enough to show that being up was a strain, but considering he’d been struggling to stay awake it was a marked improvement. 

 

He looked down at Hotaru and smiled. “Thanks for the help, Hotaru-chan. I’ll be all right on my own for now.”

 

She nodded and edged back over to her adoptive family. “I know how it feels.”

 

Usagi stiffened at the reminder of how she’d failed her youngest guardian, but her boyfriend came up behind her and draped his arms over her shoulders. “Relax,” he whispered. 

 

She nodded before wincing. “You shouldn’t be up; you don’t have much strength. Let me help you to the couch. Do you need something to drink?”

 

“I’m fine.” Her hands were fluttering, but he caught them in his own. “Sit, Usako. You haven’t had much rest lately either.” Once she complied, he glanced at the other women. “How did you know about all this?”

 

“I Saw it,” Michiru replied, holding up her mirror. “We couldn’t transform, but we knew something was happening.”

 

“And Hotaru-chan?” Usagi asked.

 

“She grew quickly even before we noticed signs of trouble,” Haruka said.

 

The little girl sat on the edge of the coffee table, looking delicate and almost fey. “I woke up last night and saw Saturn. She said you needed us and gave me our crystals. We can transform now, so this morning we packed and came home. We’ll stand with you.”

 

“Do the Shitennou still have their magic?” Setsuna asked.

 

Mamoru closed his eyes. “Yes, but the curse is starting to reach them too.”

 

“Then we have to stop the Dead Moon Circus before it gets that far.”

 

88888888

 

Though Usagi was desperate to go after their enemies immediately, Minako and Kunzite needed a little downtime, and she was trying to dodge paparazzi hoping they’d found Sailor Venus. Three days later, everyone was summoned to Mamoru’s apartment for a meeting. The Outers came, but it was the Guardian Senshi and the Shitennou doing the talking.

 

“Well, fixing the Minako-chan-is-Venus problem is the easy part,” Rei told them. “I’m going to do my interview; Venus will be with me.”

 

“How will that solve anything?” Minako asked with a frown. “They won’t believe it unless I’m somewhere public at the same time.”

 

“And that’s why I’m brilliant –  _ Venus _ will be there, but you won’t be her. Jomei will.” The others stared at her blankly, so she continued. “He’s an illusionist. If Venus is at the station while Minako is having a concert, how can they be the same person?”

 

“Can you even do that?” Usagi asked Jomei, who was lounging on the couch like he was the king of the world. 

 

“Of course I can,” he replied, mildly offended. “I was a master of my craft long before Sere and Endy even met. I can look like anything or anyone I want.”

 

“Would you be okay with it?” Ami wondered awkwardly. “Being a girl, a Senshi, no less? They’re going to want to ask you questions, too.”

 

“I can tell them no. It’s not like I worry about hurting people’s feelings. I’ll do it,” Jomei told them, getting to his feet. “Anything for Mina-chan, you know.”

 

“You would do it for any of us,” Makoto pointed out mildly as Rei glared.

 

Jomei chuckled. “True, but  _ especially _ for my sweet Mina-chan.”

 

Now it was Kunzite glowering at him. “That is more than enough out of you.”

 

The blond leaned back until he could see his leader. “Oh, lighten up, old man. You know I’m only joking; I’m not into the super-perky type.”

 

“And what is  _ that _ supposed to mean?” Rei demanded hotly. 

 

Their meeting dissolved into something approaching a riot as she lunged.

 

88888888

 

“You didn’t have to hit so hard,” Jadeite grumbled. “What if I end up with a black eye or something because of your bad temper?”

 

“It would be because of your mouth, actually, and you deserved it. Now shut up; you’re supposed to be Venus, remember?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, pulling an illusion around him like a cloak until he was an exact duplicate of the leader of the Guardian Senshi. The real one had convinced her manager to throw a charity benefit at one of the parks, so there’d be footage of Venus and Minako in different parts of the city at the same time. 

 

Mars studied him. “If I didn’t know, I’d think you were the real deal. Right now only one of us would be able to tell the difference.”

 

“Good to know.”

 

She stared. “That was freaky! You never said you could sound like her too!”

 

“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I’m really,  _ really _ good at what I do.”

 

Pushing it aside, Mars focused on the building. “I don’t sense any negative energy, but the Dead Moon Circus must know we come here. We’ll have to be careful, especially since I’m going to tell Akiyama about them.”

 

“Is that safe?” Jadeite asked. “They might come after you again.”

 

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Mamoru-san’s almost out of time; we need to get the civilians out of the way so when we go in, we won’t have to worry about them.”

 

“You’re practically as reckless as your princess,” he muttered. 

 

“I am not. Now keep quiet; you’re just supposed to be my backup, remember?”

 

The pair leapt onto the roof of the station before strolling downstairs to the studio they used. Zane inclined his head before going to find Akiyama for them. The anchor was still on site, since the evening news had just been completed twenty minutes before. 

 

“Mars, Venus,” she greeted as she walked in. “Who is it today?”

 

“Me,” Mars replied. 

 

“You know where to go, Venus,” Akiyama said dismissively. 

 

Behind the illusion, Jadeite stuck his tongue out at her before flouncing to the side in true Venus style. The fiery Senshi got her microphone before joining the reporter on set, settling into the chair and waiting. Once the makeup artists got out of the way, the cameraman counted down to open the segment. Akiyama made introductions before leaning back and studying Mars.

 

“I thought you would’ve come before now, I have to say. Are the Sailor Senshi growing lax in peaceful times?”

 

“Times haven’t been peaceful,” Mars responded, trying to keep the acid from her tone. “The attack on Aino Minako the other night wasn’t the only one that’s happened; all of us have been targeted and several civilians have been involved.”

 

“Then why were none of you seen until the Minako incident at Starlight Tower?”

 

“Minako-san was lured to a public place by the enemy; the other attacks were more private. Mercury was attacked at home, for example.”

 

“And the rumors that Sailor Venus is actually pop idol Aino Minako?”

 

Mars leaned forward with a smile. “Akiyama-san, where is Sailor Venus?” She gestured, so Jadeite joined her on set, flashing V’s trademark victory sign. “And where is Aino Minako?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Minako-san is performing at a charity concert in Juuban Park; she took the stage a half hour ago. Did you not hear the entertainment news? Obviously Minako-san isn’t Sailor Venus. Even we can’t be in two places at once.”

 

“It was orchestrated,” she said with narrowed eyes.

 

“We knew the public thought Minako-san could be Venus, so we made sure to prove she wasn’t at the nearest opportunity.” Jadeite slipped offstage, leaving Mars to handle the rest of the interview as he kicked back and waited. 

 

“Then what’s going on?” Akiyama asked. “Who’s attacking? The enemy we talked about with the others?”

 

Mars shook her head. “The Death Busters and their Daimons were stopped in the Delta weeks ago; I thought the amount of damage there made it obvious.”

 

“And were the Sailor Senshi responsible for that?”

 

“Of course not,” she snapped. “The place was built with magic. Its source was destroyed, and Infinity Academy crumbled. The rest of it was caused by the Daimons that attacked us. We contained them as well as we could, but we were outnumbered one hundred to one.”

 

“And the others? Uranus and Neptune? Where are they now?”

 

“They left,” the miko answered. “When the Death Busters were gone, they took Saturn and Pluto to start over. The four of them just came back, and we’ll fight together from now on.”

 

“Pluto and Saturn?”

 

“The other two Outer Senshi. They’re stronger and have more powerful weapons than we do, especially Sailor Saturn.”

 

“And you trust them after they way they treated you before?”

 

“We may never approach difficult situations in the same way, but they love Sailor Moon too. They’ll listen to her.”

 

“Tell me more about the other two. Jupiter already discussed Uranus and Neptune’s powers, and Mercury gave a little more.”

 

“Sailor Pluto is the Senshi of Time; she can control its flow and guards the Fourth Dimension. The only way to travel through time is to get her permission to use the Door. She’ll kill any intruders. Time travel is taboo; she only allows it in desperate circumstances.”

 

“Have you time traveled?”

 

“Yes. During the fight with the Black Moon Clan, we went to the future to rescue Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon. We’re not allowed to discuss it, so don’t ask.”

 

Akiyama looked like she was about to ask anyway, but the glare Mars shot at her made her change her mind. “And Sailor Saturn?”

 

The Senshi of War was immediately serious. “Sailor Saturn is dangerous. She’s one of us, but Saturn… She’s the Senshi of Destruction. Her Silence Glaive literally has the power to end the world. She only awakens in the direst of circumstances, when the only thing to do is to end everything so the cycle can begin again.”

 

“And she’s in Tokyo?!”

 

“She’d never use her power without provocation. It’s a burden, but she can control it. She knows if she uses her Glaive, she’s giving up her life. She would’ve died stopping the Death Busters if Sailor Moon hadn’t gone after her.”

 

“Why would such a warrior exist?!”

 

“Magic has to be balanced. We have power over the elements, and Mercury’s ice keeps my fire in check. Someday Sailor Moon will have the power of resurrection. Without Saturn her abilities could run unchecked.”

 

“If Sailor Moon is capable of something like that, why didn’t she help the people killed in Senshi battles?”

 

“I don’t think you understand, Akiyama-san. Magic uses our life force, especially when it’s something big. To bring someone back, she dies. If she does, we’re doomed.”

 

“But you and the others…”

 

Mars brushed the words aside. “If we don’t have Sailor Moon, we lose before we begin.  _ She _ ’s the one who ultimately stops our enemies. The Dark Kingdom, the Makaiju, Dark Moon, the Death Busters… It was all her. We can help with the monsters, maybe even the generals, but we can’t touch their masters. We aren’t that strong.”

 

“Why is Sailor Moon so much stronger? She seems clumsy, unfit to fight.”

 

“The amazing thing is that she still feels the same way even after everything she’s done. She was never meant to be a Senshi, but we needed her and she came. She can call on us, and she wields the Silver Crystal. If she’s willing to pay the price, she can make the impossible happen.”

 

“So what is the price?”

 

“I already told you. If she uses all of her energy, she’ll die. The reason she’s still with us is because it hasn’t been impossible yet.”

 

A dense silence settled momentarily as the previously harsh Akiyama considered a world without Sailor Moon to protect it. “So who are these new enemies?”

 

The sadness in Mars’ eyes faded as she focused. “I’ll make this clear right now: I’m telling you to get people out. We don’t want a panic.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

“The traveling group that appeared in Juuban during the eclipse, the Dead Moon Circus.”

 

For a second, there was no sound. Akiyama broke the silence by laughing. “Did you just say the enemy is a  _ circus _ ? You can’t possibly be serious.”

 

“I was attacked in their House of Mirrors while we were investigating. The enemy is there; they know who we are and where to find us. They want us dead, and they don’t mind hurting innocents to make it happen.”

 

“How much harm can a circus do?”

 

“The circus is a cover,” Mars hissed. “The heat wave and the sudden mess in the streets are the real indicators. Haven’t you noticed how angry everyone is? It isn’t natural. The circus is deliberately riling the city. Maybe they want to turn people against us; I don’t know. Either way, they’ve gotten their hands on countless civilians and no one knows what they’re doing. We can’t get any closer without initiating a battle, and we don’t want to do that while they have captives.”

 

“Then what will you do?”

 

“That’s why I’m here, Akiyama-san. Someone important will see this and listen. That place needs to be under lockdown, and we don’t have the numbers to do it ourselves.”

 

“And you think this will do it? Why not go to the police?”

 

“Venus has already contacted the few we trust, but without awareness no one will take the threat seriously. We’re going in soon, hopefully before we run out of time.” Mars sighed and ran one gloved hand through her hair. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama is really sick. You know we stand for the planets, right? Well, he’s Earth, and Dead Moon set a curse in the heart of the planet. If we don’t find the Golden Crystal soon, he’ll die, and if we lose him, Sailor Moon will give up.”

 

“What’s the Golden Crystal? Is it like the Silver Crystal?”

 

The fiery Senshi shook her head. “The Golden Crystal is the Silver Crystal’s spiritual twin, the Earth to its Moon. Unlike the Silver Crystal, which is the soul, the Golden Crystal is the body. It heals injuries like Sailor Moon heals minds. It’s also Tuxedo Kamen’s Sailor Crystal.”

 

“And what exactly is a Sailor Crystal?”

 

“A Sailor Crystal is a gem that contains all of its planet's powers, though it doesn’t have to be a planet. It could be a star or an asteroid, whatever. People with our abilities are the keepers of Sailor Crystals. I hold the Mars Crystal. Tuxedo Kamen is the Golden Crystal’s heir.”

 

“Can we see yours?”

 

“Absolutely not. If anyone were to take my crystal, I’d die. After I inherited its power, I couldn’t exist without it. We’re at our strongest when we have them, but if they fell into the wrong hands the results would be devastating.”

 

“And Tuxedo Kamen’s crystal is missing?” Mars nodded. “Then why is he still alive?”

 

“He hasn’t come into the full extent of his powers yet. The rest of us just did; you didn’t see us because we couldn’t transform until we found our crystals. He can live without the Golden Crystal for now, but the only way to cure him is to find it.”

 

“So the crystals are dangerous. How bad is it, and does the circus have any?”   
  


“They might have Tuxedo Kamen-sama’s, but even if they do they can’t use it unless its guardian gives it up willingly. As for how dangerous the crystals are…” A thread of flame snaked from each of her fingertips before lengthening, forming spirals around her, twining through her hair. Eventually they encased her until she looked like she was made entirely of fire. “This is just a small example of what I’m capable of. A civilian can’t grasp the extent of our powers; I could command any flame. I’m a master, so it’s safe. What if someone untrained had my abilities? Imagine the arson, the loss of lives and homes. Even if fire is the only thing someone with my crystal could use, they might destroy everything they came in contact with.”

 

Looking spooked, Akiyama nonetheless pressed on. “But it can do more?”

 

Mars shrugged. “If they’re strong-willed enough, they might be able to tap into my Sight, but I don’t know if that’s from the crystal or just something about me. I See the future in fire, or I dream it. I’ve been trained to use it all my life, and I was always told how important it is to keep the future secret. Someone else, someone who didn’t learn those lessons, might try to manipulate fate itself. Imagine if they Saw Sailor Moon at her most vulnerable and killed her, just like that.”

 

“If you’re trying to convince me of how dangerous magic is, you’re succeeding.”

 

The warrior drew her flames back, showing the completely unharmed chair. “Our powers are only as dangerous as we make them. On its own, magic is perfectly neutral. I know we must be frightening to people who don’t want to believe magic exists, but we can’t help what we are. We just  _ are _ , and at least you can say we’re doing the best we can.”

 

“So you realize there are those who don’t trust the Senshi.”

 

“I’ve always known,” she said quietly. “People are afraid of our powers. Some of them will hate us for the influence we have over the public because of our gifts and the lives we’ve saved. I’m glad no one knows who I am. My own father would never accept me like this.”

 

“Even your families have no idea who you are?”

 

Mars shook her head. “We’ve kept it from almost everyone, and most of the people who do know about us found out by accident.”

 

Akiyama glanced at the cameraman, who was signaling to her that they were almost out of time. “Then, one last question. What will you do if you’re found out?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Cut!”

 

88888888

 

“He wouldn’t  _ hate _ you.”

 

“You know him better than that, Jadeite. He wouldn’t understand that we’d never use our powers to control people, so he’d hate and fear us. My father is a prime example of the sort of person you can’t trust with our identities. He’d discredit us if he could.”

 

“Firebrand…” He knew she was more troubled than she’d admit, and he wouldn’t let her shut him out. Once they were far enough from the station, he dropped the illusion and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. 

 

“What if we’re too late?”

 

He swallowed and considered, touching his link to his prince. “We’re not. Not yet.”

 

“But what if we are?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think the four of us can be a team without him – there was so much dissension in the Dark Kingdom – and I don’t know if we’d be able to bear you either.”

 

Their communicators sounded, so Mars pulled hers out and turned it so they could both see as she answered. “Mars.”

 

“Are you okay?” Mercury asked gently. “That looked really tough.”

 

“I’m fine. How’s it going at the circus?”

 

“The police are clearing people out, but it’s a slow process. A lot of them don’t believe us or don’t want to go. They must already be under the enemy’s control.”

 

“Any sign of those girls?”

 

“None yet.” Mercury was keeping an eye out nearby, since they didn’t know how Dead Moon would react to their none-too-subtle challenge. “If they come I’ll call.”

 

“You’d better. Did anyone go with you?”

 

“Pluto’s here. Uranus and Neptune are sticking with Sailor Moon for now. They don’t want her to be alone if…”

 

“If he dies,” Mars finished. “We’re heading back; I’ll send them to you.”

 

“Thanks. It would be comforting to have them around if things get messy.” Mercury cut the connection, leaving the couple alone on a roof far above Tokyo. 

 

“I’m scared, Jade,” she admitted quietly. “We always had our secrets before; they didn’t know about us or the extent of what we could do. This enemy is prepared, and already so close to tearing the team apart. If he doesn’t make it, we could really lose.”

 

“I know,” he answered. He took a deep breath. “We have to do it anyway. If he… goes, if we’re not in time, we’ll be there for her as long as she needs us. We’re hers as much as we are his now. We won’t go back on that.”

 

Mars wiped her eyes before stretching and turning toward Mamoru’s apartment. “Let’s go. We have a battle to plan.”

 

88888888

 

The middle school promotion ceremony was finally over and Usagi was home with her family and the Furuhatas, who had joined them to cheer her on. Everyone was talking about how proud they were, but all she could think was that she was glad it was done. She had a month before high school and all it entailed; a month to deal with the Dead Moon Circus so it couldn’t interfere with anything else. 

 

Usagi excused herself, saying she wanted to change into something cooler. The heat wave was worsening. Once she replaced her uniform with a sundress that bore a charming resemblance to one of Serenity’s gowns, she leaned against her door with a sigh. 

 

Junior high was over, a chapter of their lives closing forever. It felt final, like something bigger was ending at the same time. It was hard to believe that three years ago the five of them had left primary school, that Minako picked up the mantle of Venus a few months into the next year. Senshi business had become everything. School, family, their other friends… It was sad, but they’d fallen to the wayside as their duty was pushed on them. They were serious, older than their meager handful of years. 

 

Ikuko knocked. “Usagi-chan, everyone’s wondering what’s taking so long.”   
  


“Just a minute,” the blonde called back, trying to fix her hair. 

 

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

 

She was going to wave it off, knowing her mother would never press if she didn’t want to talk, but her response died as her lungs seized. “No,” she gasped. “No, no, no. Not now.”

 

The pain ignored her, and a cough tore free. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the sound, but in the quiet of the upstairs it was like a gunshot. Usagi wanted it to stop so she could brush it off as a one-time thing, but as the first ended a second was starting. The force of it drove her to her knees.

 

“Usagi-chan!” her mom said as she came in. “Are you all right? Are you sick?”

 

She tried to shake her head, but the spasms intensified and she was coughing again. Her mother knelt next to her and pressed a cool hand to her forehead. 

 

“No fever,” she murmured.

 

Finally the pain passed and Usagi was able to sit up straight. “I’m fine.”

 

“Then explain that, young lady.”

 

The blonde closed her eyes, trying to wish away whatever her mother noticed. Knowing it wouldn’t work, she looked at her hand. There was black blood on her palm. 

 

“I’m calling the doctor,” Ikuko said, getting to her feet. “A magical fever was one thing, but this is something else entirely.”

 

“No, Mama, don’t.”

 

“I’m serious, Usagi. I don’t care if you’re a superhero; I can’t ignore this.”

 

“A doctor can’t help me!” she said hurriedly. 

 

Her mom paused by the door. “Then you should probably tell me what’s going on, and it had better be good or so help me I will take you to the hospital right now.”

 

“It’s not just me,” Usagi told her miserably. “It’s Mamo-chan too. It’s a curse.”

 

“A curse?” the older woman repeated. “Who would curse you?”

 

“The enemy, that circus, but it wasn’t after me. They cast a spell on the planet.”

 

“You’re Sailor Moon, though.”

 

Usagi nodded, wishing it were so simple. “Yeah, but Mamo-chan is the protector of Earth, and we have a bond. The curse is coming at me through him.”

 

“Is there any way to reverse it?” Ikuko asked tentatively. 

 

“We need to stop them.”

 

Her mother nodded, knowing what she meant. “When are you going?”

 

“Tomorrow. If we don’t, the girls will be the only ones in any condition to fight. The curse must be starting to hurt the Shitennou by now if it’s gotten to me.”

 

“Will you be strong enough?”

 

“I’ll have to be.”

 

88888888

 

The circus appeared mercifully abandoned. The group stood just across the street, waiting as Mercury scanned the area for potential hostiles. 

 

“Why aren’t they doing something?” Sailor Moon asked, shifting from one foot to the other. “They’re just… waiting. There’s some sort of tension inside; I feel it.”

 

“She’s right,” Mercury agreed, letting her visor disappear. “They’ve gathered near the big top. Sailor Moon, they have a group of humans; I think they’ve been brainwashed.”

 

“We knew it was a possibility,” Mars said. “We’ll deal with it.”

 

“How bad is it?” Uranus asked as she and the other Outer Senshi arrived. 

 

“There are about twenty people inside,” Mercury told her. “We’ll have to go through them to reach the real problem.”

 

“So we should get to work,” Neptune said. “Protecting civilians has to come first.”

 

Everyone nodded and headed to the grounds but Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. She turned to him, anxious. “You should be at home. You’re not safe here.”

 

“No one is. I’m not going to let everyone go to a battle without me. You wouldn’t.”

 

“I have to fight. You’re too sick; you’ll be an easy target.”

 

“So are you. How long has it been?”

 

Sailor Moon flinched. “You can tell?”

 

“We have a bond. You can’t hurt without me knowing.”

 

“What about the Shitennou?”

 

“Jadeite has chest pains. Kunzite and Nephrite cough, but it hasn’t progressed beyond that yet. Zoisite is still healthy, but it’s because he and Mercury are using their powers to keep the symptoms at bay. She ran tests and says we have shadows in our lungs.”

 

“Be careful,” she whispered. “Please. I know you need the Golden Crystal, but you have to stay safe. I can’t lose you.”

 

“I can’t lose you either, and that’s why I’ll fight. We both need to be here, Usako. This is personal. Nehellenia attacked my planet and she’s done something to Helios. She would’ve had all of you killed if she could. I can’t let her get away with it.”

 

“Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen,” Pluto interjected. She had lingered near the royal couple as the others went ahead. Hefting her Garnet Rod, she gestured. “They are coming.”

 

Hordes of nightmares were pouring from the outbuildings. Every terror was represented, from spiders to dangerous men. Some were more of a sensation than a real form – the choking fear of darkness, heights, small spaces, and many others. It was every phobia imaginable and very effective; everyone was afraid of something. The Moon Senshi recoiled as a black sphere reached for her, knowing the panic she’d be in without light to bring her comfort. The dark took away the people she loved; she feared it as she feared nothing else. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could a shining silver blade flashed through it, tearing the shadow apart. Saturn expertly twirled her Glaive to hit a monster made of cries of pain. 

 

“I know this is hard, but you are strong enough to fight this. You need only wake up.”

 

The younger girl’s words were like a bucket of cold water, snapping her back to herself. “Thanks.” Flourishing her Moon Kaleidoscope, she shot down a trio of Lemures that had been trying to reach Mars. “They either want to scare us or have us show them what we’re made of.”

 

“Then we show them,” Pluto said. “ _ Dead Scream! _ ” The purple energy blew away several, and with a quick pivot the Time Guardian flung one reaching for Tuxedo Kamen into Mercury’s oncoming Rhapsody. “Everyone, they want to see what we can do!”

 

“Oh, is that it?” Uranus called back through gritted teeth as she crossed blades with one of the more substantial dreams. “I’m game! SPACE SWORD BLASTER!”

 

The explosion destroyed several nightmares, and the sky warrior flipped backward over her partner and struck down two more with her weapon’s keen edge. Neptune didn’t even react as she used her Talisman to turn their powers back at them. Chibi Moon stood next to her, crystal sparkling. Jupiter and Nephrite were back to back, destroying foes with electricity and starlight. Mars and Jadeite were competing to see which could take down more. Prince Endymion fought beside Kunzite, their swords flashing. Zoisite used knives and bits of magic to do the most harm with the least exertion. Mercury sent wave after wave of ice into enemy ranks. Venus, curiously, was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Venus Power, Love Crescent Shower! Pour down rain!”

 

Turning, Sailor Moon spotted the head of her guard at the top of a lamppost as she called a downpour. The deluge seemed harmless at first, but then she flashed gold and the rain became lances of light. Within seconds the nightmare army was motionless on the ground. 

 

“Brilliant,” Mars said as Venus came down. “How did you know it would work?”

 

“I didn’t,” the blonde said with a shrug. “I just thought if it was effective on brainwashed humans, why couldn’t it stop something as pathetic as nightmares?”

 

“Belief is a powerful weapon,” Kunzite said with a smile. “You did well.”

 

Flushing, Venus grinned. “Thanks.”

 

“Praiseworthy as her little show was,” Uranus said, “shouldn’t we move on before more of them pop in?” Momentarily buoyed moods deflated as the group came together, looking around warily. The circus seemed silent and deserted. They didn’t trust it at all.

 

“Head for the middle of the grounds,” Sailor Moon said finally. “That’s where they’re keeping the civilians, so they’ll show themselves.”

 

Nephrite glanced up before freezing, eyes wide. The others spun. The moon was sliding in front of the sun, darkening the sky. It should have been impossible; total solar eclipses were too rare for one to come so soon after the other. 

 

“It’s so fast,” Sailor Moon said. 

 

“I thought eclipses could only occur during a new moon,” Mercury said, turning to Zoisite. “It’s supposed to be almost full tonight.”

 

“Then something beyond physical law is causing it.”

 

A dull thud had them all turn again. Tuxedo Kamen was on his side, breathing in shallow bursts, his skin ashen. Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter could feel the curse’s pull through their bonds to the Shitennou. Sailor Moon turned bone white as Nephrite and Jadeite coughed. Kunzite bit his lip until it was bloody, but he gave no other sign it hurt him. Zoisite fought the symptoms, trembling. Only Saturn seemed entirely unaffected, as still and calm as always. 

 

“This eclipse was called from the past,” Pluto said, horrified. “They turned back time to strengthen themselves while weakening Sailor Moon.”

 

“Can you undo it?” Saturn asked. 

 

The Time Guardian shook her head. “Not soon enough to stop this. They knew I would be away from the Door and took advantage of my absence.”

 

“Danburite,” Venus said in disgust. “He probably told them everything he knew.”

 

“How would the traitor have known I was here rather than at my post?” Pluto asked. 

 

Kunzite shook his head. “We think he has spied on us since his reawakening. How long that was, I cannot say. He knew that the Senshi were unable to transform and the other Shitennou and I had returned. It is possible he saw you after Sailor Moon stopped Pharaoh 90.”

 

Whatever else would’ve been said was forgotten as a stream of people poured out of the tents, heading straight at them. The humans were clearly out of their minds and kept repeating that they had to destroy the Sailor Senshi. The group split into three rings, with Chibi Moon in the Outer Senshi’s care while Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were with their respective guards. However, instead of initiating battle, Sailor Moon scoffed.

 

“If they think this is enough to intimidate me, they have another thing coming.” Passing one hand over her brooch, the legendary Silver Crystal appeared in all its glory, and the blonde held it aloft. “I’ve dealt with worse. MOON CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

She was betting Danburite had told them that she hadn’t used the crystal for some time; if he had, they wouldn’t expect it now. She was proven right when the dark magic recoiled before trying to fight her, but she’d healed so many by that point it really didn’t stand a chance. With one last flare, people slowly fell to the ground. 

 

“What do we do with them?” Mars asked. 

 

Sailor Moon glanced at the men and older girls. “Do you think you’d be able to get them past the perimeter? I don’t like splitting up, but we can’t leave them here. There’s no telling what the enemy might do to them next.”

 

Uranus glanced at her team before shrugging. “I don’t see why not. We’re strong enough to carry them, and there are a few teleporters, right? Between us we should be able to get them all out in five minutes or so.”

 

“Pluto and I can transport some that way,” Saturn said, “but not all.”

 

“Which is why my men and I will assist you, Lady Saturn,” Kunzite replied. “Jadeite and Nephrite can carry them while Zoisite and I teleport.”

 

Rather than discussing it further, they set to work. Kunzite was able to send them ahead without going himself, but the others had to either run or teleport each time. That left the five girls, Chibi Moon and Tuxedo Kamen waiting several paces away. 

 

“Why aren’t they doing anything?” Jupiter whispered. “If they want a shot at us, now would be the perfect time.”

 

Venus was about to respond when a wave of dark energy sent the seven of them flying. Jupiter vanished and reappeared on her feet, though her startled look made it obvious she hadn’t meant to. The others had to orient themselves midair to avoid a painful landing. As they did, the circus girls materialized across from them. 

 

The first, in yellow and pink, held a yellow gem. “CereCere, Magician of Flowers.”

 

The second had a blue orb. “PallaPalla, Magician of Balancing Balls.”

 

“JunJun, Magician of Acrobatic Feats,” said the one in green.

 

“And VesVes, Magician of Beasts,” finished the fourth girl, toying with her red ball. “Together, we are the Amazoness Quartet.”

 

Venus was the one who responded, speaking for all of the Guardian Senshi. “We should kill you for what you did to us.”

 

CereCere rolled her Amazon Stone between her palms, taking on the same role with her sisters. “You were weak, vulnerable. It was easy to separate you from the others and to put you in desperate situations. We didn’t know you would manifest again.”

 

“If you knew us at all, you would’ve known that we never stay powerless for long.”

 

“Oh, we knew you’d find your powers, but we didn’t expect it yet. After all, it was so soon after your last battle, and Adonis  _ did _ say you’d shut down for whatever reason.”

 

Venus smiled, but it was cold. “Danburite didn’t know us as well as he claimed. We did some research; our powers were waiting for a trigger. You tried to kill us while we were down, but in the end you made us more determined to fight.” 

 

“What do you want from us?” Sailor Moon asked finally.

 

“Nothing you’ll give. The queen wants the Silver Crystal and mastery over the Earth and Moon. I don’t see a way for this to be peacefully resolved.”

 

“If you’re saying you want to kill the person we love most,” Mars spit, “you’ll die before that happens. We won’t let you touch her.”

 

“We’re not complete fools,” JunJun scoffed. “We know we can’t fight her. That’ll have to be left to someone stronger than we are. We’re just supposed to deal with the rest of you. Zirconia can have Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.”

 

“Zirconia?” Tuxedo Kamen repeated.

 

“Queen Nehellenia’s second-in-command,” VesVes said, studying her nails. “The queen isn’t here, so we’re left doing her dirty work.”

 

“She wants us to find the Pegasus too,” PallaPalla added.

 

“Pegasus,” Chibi Moon gasped. “What do you know about him?!”

 

All four studied her, terrifying expressions on their faces. “The better question is what  _ you _ know about him,” CereCere said. “We knew he was Elysion’s; we thought the prince would have more information. Why do you?”

 

The pink-haired Senshi blanched and looked around wildly. “I – I don’t.”

 

“Chibi Moon?” Sailor Moon whispered. 

 

The littler Senshi moved in. “I saw him during the eclipse and in my dreams. He wants our help. Last night… he told me a maiden could unlock the Golden Crystal. He thinks it’s me, but it’s you. You have to find it for Mamo-chan.”

 

“She knows,” PallaPalla said abruptly. “PallaPalla can see it in her face.”

 

“Get her!” CereCere ordered. 

 

Ice cut across the path before they could move. Mercury kept her arms raised, the rest of the girls lined up next to her. “If you fight us, you’ll lose,” Mars said confidently. 

 

“Are you so sure?!” JunJun shouted. 

 

“Mercury?” Venus asked.

 

The blue-haired girl hit a few keys on her mini-computer before nodding. “With our Sailor Crystals we’re much stronger. They might be able to hurt us, but we’d win.”

 

“Does it say anything else about them?” Jupiter asked.

 

“Not really.” The Shitennou and Outer Senshi returned, and she spared Zoisite a quick smile before turning back to the data. “Only that they aren’t really part of Dead Moon.”

 

“They are like I was,” Saturn said peacefully. “They have been turned from their true path, losing sight of their purpose, but they can still choose to change.”

 

Sailor Moon walked in front of her guardians, hands out. “If you want to leave, we can give that to you. I’ll set you free if you ask.”

 

They hesitated, looking to CereCere for guidance. The flower magician wavered. “The circus is all we know.”

 

“Wouldn’t you rather live like we do?” Nephrite asked gently. “Under the sun, with friends and family? Isn’t it better to not have to hurt people?”

 

“I showed you mercy,” Mars said to VesVes. “That’s what we do. Our world is kinder than yours. Don’t you want to be able to enjoy what this sort of life has to offer?”

 

“You hate us, though,” VesVes contested hotly. “You want us dead. You can’t forgive us for what we’ve done.”

 

“If you choose not to fight us, we can,” Jupiter responded. 

 

“I’ll do it,” JunJun blurted before anyone else could say something. Her sisters blinked; despite knowing how impulsive the acrobat was, they hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. “I want to try living in the real world. I love performing in the circus, but there’s so much more to experience! I want to ride a motorcycle!”

 

“What do we have to do?” Sailor Moon asked Mercury. 

 

“If it’s what they want, they only have to throw away the orbs and wish to be free.”

 

Not giving her sisters a chance to stop her, JunJun threw her Amazon Stone to the ground as her forehead wrinkled in concentration. It cracked, and when she looked up, Mercury nodded. She laughed as the other three exchanged glances. 

 

“I’m with Jun,” VesVes said finally. She tossed her red ball away before settling her hands on her hips. “Well?”

 

PallaPalla and CereCere quickly followed suit, but CereCere frowned as the orbs hit the ground. “We haven’t changed at all.”

 

“Maybe not on the outside,” Sailor Moon countered, “but the dark powers are gone. You’re just ordinary girls now.”

 

“What can we do?” PallaPalla asked uncertainly. “We don’t have family or a home.”

 

“That’s where we come in,” Jadeite assured her. “We’ll make sure you find homes.”

 

As the words left his mouth, the eclipse slid into totality, all but erasing the light. Tuxedo Kamen fell to his knees coughing, blood speckling the pavement. Sailor Moon and the Shitennou displayed the same symptoms, but they managed to keep to their feet. The Quartet looked at them awkwardly, not knowing how to help as Mercury knelt by the masked hero and laid her hands over his, trying to help. 

 

“Look out!” Jupiter shouted, using an arc of electricity to cut off the dark energy before it could reach her vulnerable friends. At the same time, the Quartet shrieked and vanished, leaving their abandoned stones behind. “Something’s after us!”

 

“Zirconia,” Sailor Moon said grimly, wiping black blood off her lips. 

 

“Very good, Sailor Moon,” an ancient female voice laughed. The four glittering orbs hovered above the ground before flying off. The group turned to follow them and saw an old hag floating above a tent. “Those girls were getting troublesome with their childish behavior. You did me a favor by cutting them off from their powers.”

 

“What are you going to do with them?!” Mars demanded as she twined her fingers with Jadeite’s. He was still coughing, leaving him defenseless if the witch attacked. “Why are you doing any of this?!”

 

“Our great Queen Nehellenia has long desired this beautiful world! With the prince and his generals weak, it’s the perfect time to take the Silver Crystal, the Golden Crystal and mastery of the Earth! The girls were useful, but they failed. I’ll have to eliminate you myself now.”

 

Shaking, Tuxedo Kamen forced himself to his feet. “No matter how sick I am, I’ll never let you take my crystal or my planet! We’ll stop you!”

 

“Tuxedo Kamen-sama,” Sailor Moon whispered, grabbing his arm as he tried to take a step forward. “Please, leave this to me. You can’t handle her; she’s too strong.”

 

“Too late!” Zirconia shouted, hurling a blast of power at the blonde. Mars drew her arrow to cut it off, but before she could it split into several beams and lanced in different directions, disarming the girls before rejoining in time to strike the Moon Senshi head on. 

 

She flew back and hit the ground with a sickening thud, and she didn’t move again. Beyond angry, Tuxedo Kamen burned a deep gold as his daughter shone pink. His crystal appeared, and as he took it Chibi Moon drew hers. Together, their powers sprang out and did to the witch as she’d done to Sailor Moon. Zirconia crashed to the ground in front of an elaborate mirror, clearly dying, but she pushed the Amazon Stones through the glass before she did. A chilling laugh issued from its depths, and a moment later a figure emerged from the darkness. 

 

“You can kill as many of my servants as you wish, Prince Endymion, but it will not save your precious princess.  If you truly want her back, bring your crystals to me in Elysion within the hour and I will let her live. If not…”

 

“Nehellenia!” the prince roared – and he was indeed a prince, having changed when his crystal reacted to his terrible grief and rage. She ignored him, walking into her mirror-world once more. “Nehellenia!”

 

Once the spell of the dark queen’s arrival faded, he, Mercury and Zoisite sprinted for the unmoving blonde. Endymion lifted her head into his lap and smoothed her hair, desperately wishing she would miraculously recover like she always did. 

 

Mercury, scanning her, gasped. “She’s not dead! Endymion, she’s still alive!”

 

“What do we do?!” he demanded. 

 

“Cover her with your cloak and turn her on her side,” the genius girl ordered. “She’s in shock. Zoisite, pound her back. The blast managed to paralyze her respiratory system. If you can give it enough of a jolt as we all use healing magic, she should be able to breathe again.”

 

For several tense moments, it seemed like nothing would happen and she’d be gone before they could help her, but finally Sailor Moon gasped. Rolling over, she retched and coughed, pools of blood forming as she struggled to catch her breath. Eventually the spell ended and she edged away from the mess before lying back. 

 

“What happened?” she whispered when she spotted Zirconia’s corpse.

 

“I thought she’d killed you,” Endymion said softly. “Chibi Moon and I reacted before we could think.”

 

“Chibi Moon?”

 

“Mama,” the girl whimpered before pouncing, clinging to her middle tightly. Sailor Moon grimaced but didn’t say anything. “I was so scared…”

 

“Oh, baby,” the Moon Senshi murmured. “It’s all right. I’m all right.”

 

“When I saw you fall, I realized how you must’ve felt all the times you lost me. I guess it gave me enough of a reason to summon the Golden Crystal.” He held up the glittering gem, though he had to turn his head to cough. “We might win now.”

 

“Is it safe?” Uranus asked. “Neither of you are in very good condition.”

 

“Then we will do whatever it takes to protect them so they have a chance to defeat this enemy once and for all,” Pluto said firmly. 

 

“Where did Nehellenia go?” Sailor Moon asked. 

 

“Elysion.”

 

“I don’t know if we can teleport together,” Jupiter said. “I’ve never gone far alone.”

 

“Fifteen people do seem like too many,” Mercury agreed. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Nephrite replied. “With the Golden Crystal, Endymion can create a gate to Elysion any time he wants.”

 

“Does he remember how?” Neptune asked.

 

All eyes turned to the prince. He shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.” Passing a hand over his crystal, he closed his eyes and focused. When they reopened, they flared amber and a glittering golden veil formed a few paces away. 

 

Venus reached for it. “It’s solid.”

 

“Now that the gate is there, anyone with Earth powers can separate the veil,” Kunzite explained. “Endymion-sama?”

 

The dark-haired man grimaced, replacing his armor with the less confining tuxedo of his masked alter ego. “It hurt less as the prince, but it was exhausting. I was wringing myself dry.”

 

“It takes time to get used to all that power,” Sailor Moon said sympathetically. 

 

“No kidding.” He extended a hand, pausing at the gold sheen before pressing on. It parted around his fingers, and when he lifted his arm the glimmer revealed an empty space. It was black, or nearly so, and nothing could be made out behind it. “Hurry up; I don’t want to leave this open. Who knows what could come through?”

 

The group filed through, Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon at the back. A dazzle blinded them as the gate closed, and when it cleared they were in Elysion. The great green meadows of their last visit were gone. Well, not precisely – they were just so coated in shadow it looked like an evil mockery of paradise. Trees had been replaced with spiked crystals. The grass was hidden by fog, but here and there they could see great craters. Black roses twined over every surface.

 

Tuxedo Kamen’s eyes widened behind the mask, and he looked sick. “What did they do?! This is – this is…”

 

“Sickening. Yeah.” Jadeite finished for him. “It looks like it was bombed.”

 

Mercury pulled out her computer. “I only saw the temple before; does anyone have a clear memory of what this used to look like I can use as a baseline comparison?”

 

Kunzite nodded, so she turned her scan his way as he concentrated on Elysion as he knew it. “The Golden Crystal never left Earth despite our passing, so though parts of Elysion fell to ruin in Endymion-sama’s absence, this place is near enough to the temple that it should have remained intact.”

 

“The power required to do this must have been overwhelming,” Jupiter said as she looked around. “It’s beautiful, almost, but it’s horrifying.”

 

“Where do we look, Mercury?” Sailor Moon asked before coughing again. Tuxedo Kamen reached for her, but she managed a weak smile. “I’m okay.”

 

“We should go to the temple,” Zoisite suggested. “We already know Helios was captured, but the Maenads might still be there.”

 

“They’re priestesses, kind of like Mars’ crows,” Jadeite explained, seeing the Senshi’s confusion. “They take care of the place when Helios is away. Hopefully they’ve survived.”

 

“And if they didn’t?” Mars asked grimly. 

 

Tuxedo Kamen led the way. “It’s a place to start, at least.”

 

The trek through the mists was silent except for the sharp crack of their steps on the frozen grass; everyone was distracted by the terrifying changes. The best parallel was to the devastation Crystal Tokyo had suffered during the Black Moon Clan’s attack. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen kept Chibi Moon between them, and the others formed protective circles around the royal family. The two of them showed the worst symptoms, and they were also the ones who’d have to stop Nehellenia. 

 

Finally the temple loomed through the mist, just as they remembered it. Heartened by its unaltered appearance, the group hurried up the steps and inside only to freeze just past the door. A giant golden cage stood before the altar, and slumped at the bottom was an unmoving, horned Pegasus. Chibi Moon gasped and ran toward it, crying Helios’ name. When her hands were a few centimeters from its surface, a pulse of dark energy sprang from it and threw her into her parents. 

 

The Senshi took an automatic step back. It wasn’t their place. Slowly, Tuxedo Kamen and the Shitennou drifted closer, careful not to touch the cage. Zoisite blanched and backed away as soon as he’d gotten close enough to look inside. The others were visibly shaken. Taking a deep breath and focusing, the masked hero relayed what they saw to the Senshi.

 

“He’s alive, but only just. I don’t know how he’s communicating with us if he’s like this. There are cuts, scratches, bruises… all over. It looks like he was beaten repeatedly.”

 

“Nehellenia,” Sailor Moon said behind him.

 

“Probably. It feels like the same sort of energy.”

 

“What about the Maenads?” Jupiter asked. 

 

Zoisite beckoned them to the side of the room he’d retreated to. “They are here.”

 

Like Helios, the shrine maidens were unmoving, but they showed no sign of injury. The priestesses were encased in a layer of crystal that shone a dull gold. Their faces were peaceful with slumber. “What happened to them?” Venus asked. 

 

“That was my doing,” a new voice said. Whipping around, they saw a thin image of Helios’ human form in front of the cage. “When Dead Moon attacked, I knew they could not withstand Nehellenia’s wrath. By sealing them away, I was able to spare them her corruption.”

 

“You’re all right!” Chibi Moon said in relief, eyes shining with tears. 

 

The young priest let out a self-deprecating laugh. “This is only a projection, Sailor Chibi Moon, not unlike the one used by your lord father in the far distant future. My body is within, trapped in the shape of a Pegasus. Nehellenia hoped she could take the Golden Crystal from me, but she soon found it would not answer to her hand no matter the… incentive. She thought to prevent its return to you by locking me away, Master.”

 

“What do we do?” the hero asked. “You said we’d need the Silver and Golden Crystals, and we have them, but we don’t know where to look or how to fix this.”

 

“I do not have the answers, though I sorely wish I did. In a vision a maiden said that this battle would take the combined might of the crystals, but she did not give further instructions.” He flinched suddenly, his white skin turning ashen grey. “The dark queen is waiting; you must be ready.” Before they could say anything else, he vanished.

 

“What did he mean?” Uranus asked. 

 

Neptune tensed as Mars and Nephrite did, and Sailor Moon shivered. “He meant she’s right outside,” the aqua-haired warrior answered. 

 

“What do we do?” Mercury asked. “We can’t just charge out there without a plan.”

 

“We don’t know what she’s capable of,” Jupiter said with a frown. “How can we plan?”

 

“We won’t,” Sailor Moon said. Her posture had changed, and they knew she was speaking as their princess. “You should stay here; this is up to Tuxedo Kamen-sama and I.”

 

The others immediately protested, but Uranus’ knife-sharp tone cut through the noise with ease. “Bullshit.” Everyone froze. “We didn’t get our powers back to sit here and watch you face off with someone capable of causing this sort of damage. If it was that easy, we wouldn’t have had to return at all. We’re going with you.”

 

The rest of the girls nodded in agreement, but their leader shook her head. “I won’t let you risk yourselves. Tuxedo Kamen-sama and I have our crystals. We’ll be fine.”

 

“Maybe you would be, but there’s no way we’re letting you go alone,” Jupiter said flatly. “We’re a team, if you haven’t gotten it yet. Where you go, we go.”

 

“We haven’t let you leave us behind yet,” Venus agreed. “We won’t start now.”

 

“Together,” Mars said. 

 

Their leader sighed but smiled. “I just can’t get rid of you, can I?”

 

Mercury shook her head. “Probably not.”

 

88888888

 

Nehellenia was waiting for them as they emerged from Elysion’s sacred heart. The dark queen was beautiful to behold, but like the cursed land there was something alien in her that made her fair features somehow more terrible than any monster. 

 

“Welcome, princess of the white moon.”

 

“You’re Nehellenia?” she asked. 

 

“Indeed.”

 

She was older than the Senshi, perhaps twenty-five, though if Mercury was right the Dead Moon Queen had been alive before their princess was born over a thousand years before. Her skin was moon-pale, only a few shades away from white and a stark contrast to her black hair. It poured down to her feet in waves with small buns on either side of her head, accented with a golden ornament on her forehead shaped like three crescent moons. The only feature that gave away her lack of humanity was her eyes. They were a pale, almost colorless blue, with slit-like gold pupils. More, they lacked any sense of compassion or life. 

 

“I did not expect to find you here, Princess Serenity.”

 

“You might be surprised how many people have told me the same thing.”

 

“You know,” the queen said, voice turning cruel, “even reincarnated you are a perfect copy of your sainted mother.”

 

“You knew her.” Sailor Moon kept her tone even, but it was hard. No one she’d met aside from her allies had ever spoken well of Queen Serenity. “During the Silver Millennium.”

 

“Oh, yes. You were only a tiny baby, then. I think I frightened her.”

 

“With your curse?” Mars asked abruptly. 

 

Nehellenia smiled. “You know of that, do you? Well, I see I have the pleasure of telling you the whole story. We were very much alike, you see, Serenity and I, but she was weak. I came to her the day her daughter was born, knowing she would never be the ruler the Moon deserved. She could see what I was and was still foolishly willing to let me into her world.”

 

“And you betrayed her trust,” Neptune said angrily. 

 

“Nothing of the sort,” the dark queen said, unperturbed. “I told her she needed the dark. Together we could have done anything, but she took it as a threat. It was, but I had thought her so peace-addled she would fail to notice. She thrust me into her mirror with the Silver Crystal, but I would not go easily. I cursed her precious heir and kingdom from the void.”

 

Pluto’s mouth firmed. “Now I remember; through the long years it had grown dim in my mind. She swore the Alliance would fall and the princess would not live to take her throne.”

 

“The queen let the Earth lie untended, never taking control as she should. This is a world for a true ruler, this beautiful blue planet, and she refused to assert her authority. Now I will have the Earth and the Moon and be the queen she never would have been.”

 

The Moon Senshi shook her head slowly. “You can’t take the Earth, Nehellenia. It belongs to its people, not the likes of us. We’re only its guardians now; we don’t rule.”

 

“And that is why you are just like your weak-willed mother, Sailor Moon. If you will not make the smart choice, I will make it for you.”

 

Nehellenia gestured. Sailor Moon bowed back as the Silver Crystal was wrenched from her chest and flew to the dark queen’s hand. Her transformation fell apart, leaving only ribbons. Deprived of her supernatural strength, the full force of Nehellenia’s curse hit all at once. She folded over, coughing again and again as dark blood leaked through her fingers. 

 

Tuxedo Kamen’s symptoms were exacerbated by hers, but he ignored them, focusing on his girlfriend and her suffering. “Shh,” he murmured as he folded her into his arms, pulling his cloak tightly around them. “Shh. Relax, Usako. You’ll be okay.”

 

The others prepared their attacks, ready to make Nehellenia surrender the crystal, but she only laughed. “None of you can hope to fight me and win while I hold the Silver Crystal. Your powers mean nothing to me.”

 

“I’m sorry, Tuxedo Kamen-sama,” Usagi whispered. “I only wanted to protect your world with you. I’m so sorry.”

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he countered fiercely. “It’s not your fault.”

 

“If you and yours want to make it out of this place alive, Endymion, you will give me the Golden Crystal. I have no interest in unnecessary bloodshed.”

 

He bristled, but he held onto Usagi. He couldn’t guard her from Nehellenia’s curse when it was so deeply entrenched in the heart of his world, but he’d fight for her. “Even if I gave it to you, we’d die. We’ll defy no matter how many advantages you have.”

 

“So you would sacrifice the lives of your precious princess and your still-unborn child in a battle you cannot win? You are a fool. You and your men have no chance when all the Senshi of the system are incapable of harming me.”

 

“Can’t the Silver Crystal satisfy your greed, Nehellenia?” Usagi asked, standing tall despite her weakness, her imminent death. “Do you have to make others suffer when my mother and I were the ones you wanted to hurt? Don’t punish innocent people.”

 

“Your selflessness is sickening. Perhaps I should just kill you now, so those you love will know true despair before the end.”

 

“I’m the one you want. If you let them go, I won’t fight you.”

 

“You can’t fight now,” Nehelenia sneered, stroking the shining gem she’d stolen. “I have your precious crystal. Your powers are gone.”

 

“Not really.”

 

“You can’t,” Tuxedo Kamen said, pulling her closer when she tried to move away from him. “She’ll kill you.”

 

“Trust me,” she whispered before slipping free. “Can you do that?”

 

“With my life and the fates of everything and everyone I love.”

 

His girlfriend smiled, a thing of radiant beauty against the ugliness of the Dead Moon Queen’s expression. “Then I still have a chance.”

 

“Take my power.”

 

“Maybe I will, if I need it, but first I have to prove I can stand on my own.”

 

No one understood how, but as she held out her hands the Holy Grail appeared and the ribbons of her shattered transformation suddenly flew back, weaving itself into her uniform. It wasn’t Super Sailor Moon – that could only be achieved through the crystal and chalice together – but her lesser form was still more than a simple human girl. Sailor Moon made sure her booted feet were firmly planted before holding the goblet aloft. 

 

“Lend me your strength!”

 

Her Senshi’s tiaras automatically flared in response as each girl summoned her crystal and channeled its magic into the Grail they hadn’t known she possessed. As each beam struck it, it momentarily reflected that warrior’s colors until it turned pure white. As it did, the Silver Crystal vanished from Nehellenia’s hand and came to its mistress. It rested against her brooch, and in a flash she was Super Sailor Moon again. 

 

“You claim to be a queen, but you lack the compassion of a ruler, Nehellenia,” she said boldly. “I can’t let you take the Earth.”

 

“Even with your trinkets, you can’t stop me. Elysion has already fallen.”

 

“Then maybe a few more will do the trick.” She turned to her soulmate. “We’ve fought so many battles together. Will you be by my side through this one too?”

 

“I’d be with you through the end of the world,” he answered. “You don’t even have to ask. My power isn’t much compared to yours, but if it can help…”

 

“Any light can push back the dark a little bit; combined, they can do so much more.”

 

Tuxedo Kamen nodded, and with careful concentration he drew the crystal from the depths of his soul and held it at the ready. “What do we do?”

 

“We work together. United, no enemy can defeat us.”

 

For a moment she was the princess instead of the warrior – in the seriousness of her tone, the gravity in her eyes. Then it was gone and only the Senshi was there. Holding the Grail aloft, she dropped to her knees. It was like an offering to the heavens. Silver light swirled around it. The lid opened, and her power began to pool inside the vessel. 

 

“Call on your castles!” a little sprite instructed when it appeared. 

 

Eight tiny figures had come to the Guardian and Outer Senshi. For a moment they were surprised, but then their faces set with determination and they all nodded. Their uniforms were replaced with the gowns of a bygone era, marking them as princesses of the solar system rather than just its warriors. They knelt, the Shitennou immediately following suit. The castles were invoked one by one – Mariner, Phobos Deimos, Io, Magellan, Miranda, Triton, Titan, and Charon. The generals surprised them by naming their palaces as well, though the act was more symbolic than an actual summoning of power. Zoisite thought of Kainess, Jadeite of Lasa, Nephrite of Medias, and Kunzite of Rias. More and more magic began to flow into the sacred chalice, and as it did it began to change forms. 

 

“It’s… evolving?” Princess Venus whispered. 

 

Tuxedo Kamen watched the spectacle in shock. In all his time as a magical warrior, what he was seeing surpassed everything. If there’d ever been such a concentrated show of planetary power in all history, he’d never heard of it. Finally, with tremendous effort, he was able to draw the first tendrils of strength from his crystal. That bit triggered a chain reaction; suddenly golden light was pouring into the Grail, though it was no longer recognizable as such. It looked more like a glowing, winged orb on a stand. 

 

Sailor Moon’s brooch flew from her ribbon, but everyone was calm. Nehellenia had been hurling attacks at them since the reclamation of the Silver Crystal, but none of them had been able to penetrate the light surrounding them. If the Crisis Moon Compact was reacting, it was through no design of the dark queen’s. Slowly, it came to rest within the Grail, and a blinding light burst from the chalice’s depths. When it cleared, Super Sailor Moon was gone. The warrior she’d been replaced with was far greater. 

 

“Just a little more!” Eternal Sailor Moon cried, holding a staff they’d never seen before as the Silver Moon Crystal flashed. The Grail vanished to await its mistress’ next command. 

 

“MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“MARS CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“Sailor Moon, I’ll help too!” Chibi Moon shouted as Tuxedo Kamen and his Shitennou wordlessly gave what they could. Her crystal was in her hand; it wavered for a moment before turning a deep pink – the Pink Moon Crystal that was hers and hers alone. “PINK MOON CRYSTAL POWER!”

 

“STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!” the Moon Senshi cried. The Eternal Tiare grew brighter and brighter as it channeled the strength of the united planets. 

 

Released, the power drove the desperately struggling Nehellenia back to her ominous mirror, which was just a few paces away. With a great push, it forced her in just before shattering the glass. The entire group flinched as they felt her life force go out. The stolen Amazon Stones fell to the ground in front of the empty frame with a dull thud, and Saturn silently collected them.

 

The black roses began to disappear, a circle of clear grass expanding constantly around Eternal Sailor Moon as the end of her staff hit the ground. The fog rolled away as well, and before their eyes flowers grew. As the mist passed each tree, its crystal casing melted away. The sun and the moon began to drift apart, ending the eclipse Nehellenia had called out of time.

 

“The long nightmare is finally over,” Sailor Moon said with a relieved sigh. 

 

After a moment of stunned silence everyone laughed in a chorus of whoops and catcalls.

 

88888888

 

“Helios,” Chibi Moon said suddenly. “Where is he? What happened to him?”

 

“We saw him already,” Uranus replied, puzzled. “He should be fine.”

 

The pink-haired Senshi turned and ran to the temple, the others on her heels. The cage was gone, as was the Pegasus itself. In its place was a pale young man crumpled on the marble floor. He wasn’t moving. “Helios!” Chibi Moon cried. “Helios, wake up! The curse is gone! You have to wake up!”

 

Sailor Moon looked at Tuxedo Kamen, who bit his lip as their daughter kept shaking the priest’s shoulders. He remained unresponsive, and everyone wondered if he’d died before they had been able to stop Nehellenia. Their victories always had a price. They’d all survived for once; had Helios been sacrificed for the sake of everyone else?

 

“Chibi Moon,” Pluto said, reaching out, but the girl shook her head emphatically. 

 

“He’s not dead. He can’t be. Helios, you have to wake up now.” His body stayed limp, and the others knew he wasn’t breathing. “Helios, please…”

 

Chibi Moon drew the Crystal Carillon he’d given her and rang it, but nothing happened. Upset, she leaned in to kiss him – to say goodbye, out of desperation, no one was sure – and his eyelids fluttered. With a gasp, he finally inhaled. “It was you,” he whispered, lifting his hand. She took it immediately. “You’re the maiden in my visions.”

 

“Me?” she said. The pink-haired girl let out an awkward chuckle, then a more honest laugh a second later. “You’re all right!”

 

Helios let out a soft ‘oomph’ when he suddenly found his arms full, Chibi Moon clinging to his neck. After an initial moment of shock, he returned the embrace, smiling into her hair. “Thank you,” he said softly. “You saved me.”

 

Tuxedo Kamen blinked, gaze flipping rapidly between his priest and his daughter-to-be. “Does anyone want to tell me what’s going on? Did you know about any of this, Sailor Moon?”

 

She shook her head, eyes wide. “Chibi Moon, what are you doing?”

 

Their daughter suddenly pulled back, blushing. “I, uh… I’ve been dreaming of him, but I guess it was real. We’re really close.”

 

“Helios?” Tuxedo Kamen said in a strangled tone.

 

The young man had the good sense to look embarrassed. “My spirit needed to hide, and I could not go to you without endangering you further. Sailor Chibi Moon was the closest I could come, and I grew fond of her.”

 

“Exactly how fond is fond?” the hero demanded. 

 

“Tuxedo Kamen-sama,” Sailor Moon chastised. 

 

“It’s a legitimate question,” he argued, but she shook her head and he stopped. 

 

After a drawn out awkward pause, Helios got up and smiled. “Come with me, please.”

 

“Where are we going?” Chibi Moon asked, hurrying to his side as he walked toward the temple entrance. 

 

Rather than responding, he flicked his wrist at the frozen Maenads. The crystal cases shattered, freeing the young women, and they woke with smiles on their lovely faces. The two inclined their heads to the priest before turning and bowing to Tuxedo Kamen. Once they had, they turned to the depths of the temple, ready to begin renewing its power. Helios continued on.

 

“Helios, what’s going on?” Jadeite asked, jogging alongside his old friend. 

 

“We need to go to the palace,” he answered simply.

 

“Palace?” Nephrite repeated. “I thought it was destroyed in the war. The temple is the only thing I’ve seen here.”

 

“This place was enchanted to keep it hidden during the rise of Queen Beryl and her allies. As such, everything beyond its boundaries is concealed as well. While the palace and indeed all else fell into disrepair in the last thousand years, that changed when the prince arrived with the Golden Crystal in hand. They have been remade.”

 

It looked like they were crossing empty fields, but everyone felt the difference when they passed through the barrier he’d mentioned. It crumbled and the view around them immediately shifted. Now they were walking between farms left long unattended, a river rushing alongside. The gleaming temple stood behind them. 

 

“The island has not been visited since the deaths of its masters so long ago,” Helios told them. “A few remained, hoping the dark times would end, but everything began to decay at an alarming rate and fields that had always produced an abundance showed no signs of growth at all. They fled Elysion for Europe, hoping you would be in residence, Lord Zoisite, but you and the other Shitennou had obviously gone.”

 

“What happened to the king and queen?” Zoisite asked. “They should have been here to help their people.”

 

“Beryl killed them shortly before the battle on the Moon when they refused to help her lure their son into her trap.”

 

“But they had taken her side,” Mercury said, puzzled.

 

“They agreed with Queen Beryl’s views of the Moon Kingdom, but they were not willing to force their son into something he did not choose, and he had made his feelings toward Beryl abundantly clear. They resisted her attempts to use them as bait, and they died protecting him. 

 

“In the end, Elysion was abandoned and thought lost, leaving myself and the Maenads to guard the temple and the Golden Crystal until Master returned and took up his ancient charge. Legends lingered in the human world, though the island came to be called Atlantis in the tales. While stories say it sank to the bottom of the sea, clearly it has not; it only could not be found.”

 

“The history lesson is nice,” Uranus said shortly, “but what are we doing?”

 

“The true nature of our trip will be revealed in due time.”

 

Everyone fell silent as they crested the rise and the Golden Palace came into view, a masterpiece of marble with grand arches and columns decorating its face. The structure had a pale golden sheen that made it look otherworldly. Ivy and rose vines climbed the columns, and the main entrance had gold filigree embedded in the heavy wooden doors and surrounding area. The massive gate opened automatically at their approach.

 

The interior was as grand as the outer walls, with exquisitely crafted wooden tables in the halls and brilliant tapestries hanging above. The floors and walls were made of the same marble as before, highly buffed and perfectly smooth. Carpets were laid in some of the grander passages. Helios stopped at a second pair of doors, smaller than the first but even more highly decorated. 

 

“I remember this place,” Tuxedo Kamen said suddenly. “I used to sneak down here while my parents held court to listen in. There was a big vase on a side table; Jadeite broke it when he came looking for me one night.”

 

The blond winced. “I thought for sure everyone would hear the commotion. We should probably count ourselves lucky the arguments inside let us slip off unnoticed.”

 

“Not entirely unnoticed,” Nephrite said with an amused snort. “Kunzite tanned your hides the next day for being out of bed and destroying something so valuable.”

 

“He always did know,” Zoisite said, nose wrinkling as he thought of similar incidents. “No matter what we did he found out somehow.”

 

“Someone had to keep an eye on you miscreants,” the eldest general said curtly.

 

The girls laughed before Jupiter reached for the handles and pulled, but the doors didn’t open. “What’s going on?” she asked. 

 

“The castle awaits the return of its rightful king,” Helios answered. 

 

Sailor Moon gave Tuxedo Kamen’s hand a squeeze, smiling encouragingly. As soon as he touched them, the heavy doors came open. The room ahead was empty except for the pair of thrones at the end, with candelabras and the chandelier overhead providing illumination. A tapestry showed an incredibly detailed image of the king and queen with their son, his guardians arrayed behind them. The group wandered in, taking in the luxurious fabrics and the elaborate carvings decorating the great gilded wooden thrones, fine golden embroidery on the cushions. 

 

“Master,” Helios said.

 

Tuxedo Kamen turned to find the priest kneeling in respect. “What’s going on?”

 

“May I see the Golden Crystal, Prince Endymion?” the young man asked. 

 

Baffled, Tuxedo Kamen handed it over, though the instant it was out of his hand it felt like part of him was missing. He grimaced but waited, knowing Helios did nothing without a reason. The priest gestured and a scepter of clean white wood appeared. Bowing his head and saying a brief prayer, Helios placed the crystal at its head. As soon as he did, color crept into Tuxedo Kamen’s clothes, turning his formalwear from midnight black to delicate lavender. The white domino mask remained, but various medals hung from the jacket. His cloak too changed to match the rest of the ensemble. His hat vanished as he gasped. 

 

Sailor Moon took a cautious step forward, reaching for his hand as Helios gravely gave the prince his scepter. When their fingers touched, a fine twist of light surrounded her as well and transformed her into a guise she’d taken once before – that of Neo Queen Serenity. Curiously, the crown she’d worn then was missing.

 

“Please,” Helios said calmly, “take a seat, Majesties.”

 

“Me?” Serenity asked. “No. This is his world, Helios. I shouldn’t be part of this.”

 

“You are his soulmate and the only woman he would want at his side. You are the Queen of Earth as much as of the Moon, my lady, and you will ascend the throne as he does.”

 

Endymion inclined his head to her, and she managed a tentative smile. They walked to the end of the hall, taking their respective seats. The priest approached, bearing cloth-of-gold pillows with finely wrought crowns. He passed them to Kunzite, as was his right as the first general of Earth and his king’s right hand. One they knew from the future, while the other was unfamiliar, but they knew they were at a coronation – the return of the world’s rulers. Gentle power encased the audience, turning them from Senshi to the princesses of Serenity’s court. The Shitennou no longer wore military uniforms but the garments of kings. 

 

Helios lifted the first crown, the heavier circle of gold meant for a reigning king, and stood by Endymion’s side. “Will you solemnly swear to uphold justice in the courts, and to honor the traditions of your people?”

 

“I will.”

 

“Will you swear to safeguard the innocent and seek out corruption wherever it is found?”

 

“I will.”

 

“Will you protect your kingdom from those who would do it harm, even in the darkest of hours, until such time that you may lay down your burden and pass it to your heir?”

 

“I will.”

 

“I now crown you King Endymion of Elysion, Master of the Golden Kingdom and High Lord of Terra, Crystal Bearer of Earth. All hail the king!”

 

“All hail the king!” their guardians repeated dutifully.

 

Slowly Helios lifted the second crown from its resting place, weighing it in his hands before passing it to his master. “As king, it is your duty to crown your choice of queen and to demand her oaths.”

 

The king nodded and rose. “Serenity, your highest duty is to your world, but as my wife you will be the queen of this planet as well. Will you swear to guard the Earth as you would the Moon itself, no matter the danger, until such time that our heir is crowned?”

 

“I swear,” she answered strongly. 

 

“You will hereafter be the Neo Queen Serenity, Mistress of the Golden Kingdom and Lady of Terra. Long live the queen!”

 

“Long live the queen!”

 

“Lords and ladies, I give you the king and queen of Earth!”

 

Saturn stepped up and curtsied. “My queen, the Amazoness Quartet was entrapped in their stones by Zirconia. Would you please set them free?”

 

Serenity was surprised, but she accepted the proffered orbs. The Silver Moon Crystal appeared in her other hand, and as it brightened the stones did as well, until the girls emerged from the gems. They twisted as they rose, assuming familiar uniforms.

 

“Sailor Senshi?!” Small Lady gasped. 

 

As one, the four girls – clearly Senshi, but of what they didn’t yet know – turned and knelt before the young princess. 

 

“Sailor Ceres.”

 

“Sailor Vesta.”

 

“Sailor Pallas.”

 

“Sailor Juno.”

 

“We are the Sailor Quartet, Small Lady, guardians of distant asteroids,” Ceres said, head bowed. “Nehelenia found us sleeping deep in the Amazon and woke us before our time, twisting our minds and poisoning our purpose. We cannot apologize enough for our betrayal. And to you as well, my queen, for the wrongs we did you and yours. Thank you for setting us free.”

 

“I would never condemn someone to eternal suffering because of the machinations of others,” Neo Queen Serenity responded. 

 

“We will be your protectors in the future, Small Lady,” Juno said.

 

Vesta nodded. “A day will come when you are ready to stand on your own as a proud Senshi and princess, and we will be with you then. We are your protectors as Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter guard your mother.”

 

“Now we must return to our sleep,” Pallas added. “Our time has not yet come, but when it does we will see you again.”

 

The Quartet vanished, but Small Lady smiled after them.  _ Someday I’ll be a Senshi in my own right, with guardians like Mama’s. Maybe there will be a handsome prince too… _

 

88888888

 

“It feels weird to be back in Tokyo,” Usagi said. “It’s like none of it really happened.”

 

“We know it did,” Mamoru reminded. 

 

“Chibiusa-chan, you should get home,” Rei reminded. “Your parents probably really want to see you so they’ll know you’re all right.”

 

“I’m almost ready,” the little girl answered. “I just need to get my bag from Usagi-chan’s house. We can meet in the park in an hour.”

 

Makoto smiled. “Sounds good. We’ll see you then.” She and Masato split from the group, heading to a nearby café. The rest of the couples left as well, going to get a late lunch or tea based on their moods. Eventually it was  just the little family.

 

“I’m going to miss you, Chibiusa-chan,” Usagi murmured as she hugged her daughter.

 

Her father lifted her up, tousling her hair as she relaxed against him. “You’re not really waiting an hour to leave, are you?”

 

Chibiusa blushed. “Was it that obvious?”

 

“Maybe,” the blonde answered with a laugh. “I don’t think they’ll be back; Minako-chan said something about seeing a movie and you can’t do that in an hour.”

 

“Sorry,” the pink-haired girl said.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Mamoru said. “They knew you wanted a private goodbye.”

 

“Come with me?” she asked, reaching for their hands. 

 

“Of course, sweetheart,” her mother-to-be said. 

 

Their walk to the clearing in the park was silent. Once they reached it, Chibiusa reached under her school shirt and pulled out her Time Key. She recited the chant in a quiet voice as her parents kissed her on the cheek and took a few steps back. When the corridor of light opened, Usagi and Mamoru smiled. 

 

“I’ll miss you,” Chibiusa said shyly.

 

“Bye, baby,” Usagi said.

 

Mamoru squeezed Usagi’s hand as their daughter vanished. “She’ll be okay.”

 

“I know,” the blonde replied, teary-eyed, “but I’ll still miss her.”

 

“We’ll see her again.”

 

She smiled, and he led the way to the arcade for milkshakes and a chat with Motoki. It was their vacation, after all; they wanted to enjoy it.


End file.
